Rising From The Ashes
by AnEnduringHope
Summary: *INCOMPLETE* The events of Eclipse as seen by Jasper and Alice and a deeper look inside the workings of the Cullen family. Sequel to Journey Through The Flames and Trial By Fire. True to both canon and character.
1. Chapter 1

Here we are again! Thanks for being patient with me while I got this one ready to go. I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season, whatever you might be celebrating! :) And without any further ado, here is my gift to you, my friends! I hope you like it. ;)

All usual disclaimers apply, of course. I own nothing except a vivid imagination and a rather obsessive love for these characters… everything else is the property of Stephenie Meyer. All recognizable themes, subjects, and dialogue belong to her. I'm just borrowing. But you know that by now. ;)

Enjoy! 

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Jasper**

The sound of the television droned on in the living room. I tapped the remote control rhythmically against my chin, deep in thought, as the reporter spoke of the quickly amassing murders in Seattle. People were dying in growing numbers, in horrific ways. They disappeared in the night, their bodies found later, mangled and broken, carelessly tossed to the side in dark alleys, on deserted streets.

And everyone else in the city was living in fear that they might be next. But no one had any idea what was going on. There was no evidence of the killer anywhere to be found.

When the segment ended, giving way to commercials, I pressed the button to turn the television off. The house was quiet then except for Esme's low humming as she worked over a flower arrangement for the dining room table.

"What do you make of that?" Carlisle asked from the chair across from mine. He'd been typing steadily away on the laptop balanced on his knees, and I'd not been aware that he'd been paying attention to what was on the television.

I heard the hint of worry in his voice, and I didn't even pretend to not know what he was referring to. "I don't know," I said tersely.

What the people of Seattle didn't realize was that, often, when unexplained killings of this magnitude took place, it wasn't the work of a mortal. It was often the ravages of a bloodthirsty monster, a demon, set loose to prowl.

"The signs are there," Carlisle pointed out when I made no other response.

"They are," I agreed quietly, "but that doesn't necessarily mean anything."

There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to who was taken victim. There was no common factor between any of them. Whether old or young, male or female, rich or poor. The only thing they had in common was the lush scent of human blood.

I'd seen that many times before.

Many, many times.

"But you don't believe it's nothing. Do you?" Carlisle closed his laptop, turning his full attention to me.

"I don't know enough right now to be certain of anything."

"What do your instincts tell you?" he asked intently.

In the course of my life, I'd learned not to doubt my instincts. It was many times a fatal mistake. And my gut was warning me now that something wasn't right. That we needed to be watchful and wary about this situation in Seattle.

"There isn't anything we can do about it except keep an eye on things," I said, evading his question.

"Keep an eye on what?" Emmett asked as he came lumbering down the stairs. "What's going on?"

"The murders in Seattle," Carlisle said in explanation as Emmett plopped heavily on the couch.

"Those poor people," Esme sighed as she drifted in from the dining room, coming to stand behind Carlisle's chair and draping her arms loosely around his neck. "Their families must be so devastated."

Her sorrow was real and heartfelt as she thought of those left to mourn the loss of family and friend. Carlisle laid his hand over her interwoven ones, pressing a kiss to her wrist.

"It's terrible," he agreed quietly.

"Yeah, I know it's sad," Emmett said, a frown puckering his forehead, "but humans die every day. I don't get why we're worrying over this more than usual… unless…" His voice trailed off, and I could almost see the wheels in his mind turning as he processed. "You think it's one of ours?" he asked, looking back and forth between me and Carlisle.

"I think it's a very real possibility," Carlisle told him solemnly.

"Oh," Emmett said, working things out in his mind now. "In that case," he leaned over and bumped his fist into my shoulder, "Jazz, why don't you and I go check it out. It's not like we have anything else to do today."

"No, Emmett," I told him, shaking my head. "It's not our concern now." Not yet at least, I thought to myself. "If things continue, it might be another story."

"Fine." He crossed his arms over his chest like an overgrown child that had just had a favorite toy taken away.

Rosalie came huffing down the stairs then, rolling her eyes at Emmett's typical eagerness for any excitement, though there was no true annoyance there. Only a loving tolerance. She shoved playfully at the back of his head as she passed.

"I'm going out to work on the Jeep for a while," she told him. "Help me?"

He hopped up eagerly, our earlier conversation relegated to the back of his mind almost immediately by her request. "Sure thing, babe." He took her outstretched hand, and the two of them disappeared into the garage.

Only moments later, I heard the sounds of the Volvo pulling into the driveway. All my nagging suspicions and uncertainties faded away as Alice drew nearer. I could feel her now. She was radiating happiness and contentment, her usual emotional state, and it lifted my sprits every time I felt it. It was almost impossible for me _not_ to be happy around her.

I was smiling when she danced in the door, Edward following not far behind. She flitted to my side, brushing a kiss to the corner of my lips. She was humming happily to herself as she carried her backpack upstairs and changed clothes. This was her ritual almost every afternoon.

Charlie had essentially put Bella on house arrest as soon as she had returned from Italy with Alice and Edward. She wasn't allowed out except for school, and Edward was only allowed at her house for a couple of hours in the evening.

Alice, on the other hand, was another matter entirely.

Charlie regarded Alice with a mixture of awe and reverence. She'd had him wrapped around her little finger since the incident in Phoenix the year before. No matter what had changed since then, that hadn't. She was allowed to come and go as she pleased, and Charlie never said a word.

Alice spent most afternoons now after school with Bella until Charlie came home from the station. She was almost giddy with happiness at having her best friend, and someone she loved as a sister, in her life again. I didn't see her much during the day right now, but I couldn't begrudge her that. She was much too happy. And I knew it was only for a season anyway.

Edward plopped down on the seat that Emmett had vacated just moments before, sighing as Alice flew back down the stairs. He tossed the keys to the Volvo into her waiting hand when she stopped in front of him. I could feel his jealousy, and I knew exactly where it stemmed from, as did Alice.

"You just saw her not ten minutes ago, and you'll see her again in a few short hours. Stop pouting. It's not attractive."

Edward rolled his eyes. "That's very funny, Alice. And I'm not pouting."

"Yes, you are. You're not very good at sharing, you know," she teased. "You don't like it that you can't have Bella all to yourself right now."

"Have I ever told you how annoying you are?" Edward's tone was short, but his eyes were lit with amusement.

"More than once. But you love me anyway," she said with smug assurance, sticking out her tiny, pointed tongue at him for good measure.

Edward bit back a laugh and made a face back at her, crossing his eyes. I shook my head, laughing under my breath at both of them.

Alice and Edward had always had a very unique bond, probably in part because of the complementary nature of their gifts. Often, they acted the most like siblings out of all of us, bantering back and forth like a true brother and sister. And I knew they both loved each other fiercely in their own way. There wasn't much he wouldn't do for her, and she for him.

Alice bent down to kiss me one last time and then darted out the door once again, on her way to Bella's.

Slowly but surely over the last month, we'd been able to pick up the pieces that had been left behind when our family had fallen apart last year. We'd returned almost to a state of normalcy after a while, and all of us were relieved by that.

Deep inside, I'd felt a little bit of a strain with Edward at first when they'd come home from Volterra. There'd been a part of me that had wanted to blame him for Alice's exposure to the Volturi and her close brush with death. I'd wanted to take out my worry and frustration out on him. But I couldn't.

Not when I'd done the unforgivable just months before and been immediately and unquestioningly forgiven by him.

I wasn't a hypocrite.

And I knew it wasn't entirely his fault.

He'd not asked her to go. She'd made that choice of her own free will. And I knew most of us, in one way or another, had played a part in what was almost a tragedy of epic proportions. We'd all made decisions that influenced those events. There had been mistakes made, and wrongs that had needed to be set right.

Edward and Bella, Alice, Rosalie, and I had all ultimately had a hand in what happened. We'd all owned up to our mistakes and, for those of us who needed it, we'd sought forgiveness from the ones we'd wronged.

And, for everyone, forgiveness was granted without reservation – however undeserved it might be for some of us.

"This worries me," Edward said pensively, breaking through my thoughts.

"What does?"

Edward gestured to the newspaper he held in his hands. There on the front page was yet another report about the killings in Seattle. "I wouldn't worry so much, but it's too close to home," he said absently. "And if it is one of our kind, we can't afford to have the Volturi decide to pay a visit to take care of them. Not now."

"We won't let it get that out of hand," I assured him. "The rest of us were just discussing that before you came in earlier."

I replayed our conversation from before back to him in my thoughts. "It's best to keep an eye out, but it's probably nothing."

Edward hummed under his breath. I didn't think he was truly any more convinced of that than I was.

The rest of our conversation that afternoon was of mostly inconsequential things – uncomplicated and easy. Distracted as he was, it was still a source of great relief to have my brother home, safe and sound, and back to himself again.

At exactly twenty minutes after seven, though, he was on his way out the door to Bella's house, passing Alice in the driveway.

Alice was smiling as she tripped into the living room. I took her outstretched hand and met her smile with one of my own as we made our way upstairs. Spending as much time apart as we did during the day now, these hours during sunset and sunrise had been set aside as ours. Everyone else was off engaged in their own pursuits, and we holed ourselves away in our room, enjoying the time we had with just the two of us.

Resting in the circle of each others' arms, we talked about everything and about nothing at all. She told me about her day and I told her about mine. The words didn't always matter. It was enough just to be near her. To listen to the low murmur of her voice. To feel the soft press of her body against my side. Her limbs tangled with mine.

It was perfect. It was right. And, for the space of those few hours, nothing else mattered. 

* * *

**Alice**

March had given way to April and then April to May as our family had settled back into a routine again. Edward and I had been reenrolled in Forks High School, and Carlisle had resumed his position at the hospital. Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper remained out of sight mostly, keeping up the charade that they were still away at college.

Few questions had been asked about our reappearance. We'd told everyone that Esme just hadn't cared for life in Los Angeles, and that we'd preferred the pace of a small town. That had been enough to appease anyone who thought to question.

My days were filled once again with the relentless monotony of high school classes, but I couldn't resent that. I was truly happy to be back in Forks. I was happy to see Edward back to himself and our family shifting back to normal again.

I missed Jasper during the day, though. That was one of the bad things about passing us off as being in different grades. There was always at least one year that I had to keep going to classes without him. Not that we had many, or even any, classes together anyway, but at least we were in the same building all day.

It was just easier that way, though. There were fewer questions from the humans. People always assumed that Jasper and Rosalie were twins. They never looked very closely. They just saw the same blonde, curly hair and golden eyes. They saw that Jasper and Rosalie were both tall and carried themselves with a quiet, almost aloof, air about them. And that was enough.

It was easiest, and wisest, to go along with their assumptions. But I missed him.

Jasper was doing his best to stay occupied during the day, reading and studying on his own, exercising his mind the best he could. There was a part of me, though, in the very back of my mind, that worried that we might be setting him up for failure again. I wondered if it was really wise to let him go for so long without any real exposure to human blood. He struggled enough with it when he was continually around it. But it had been almost two months now, and he'd not been exposed to it at all.

He didn't seem concerned by that, though. In fact, it had been a long time since I'd seen him so relaxed and content as he'd been recently. And, God knew, he deserved a break from his constant struggles with his bloodlust. I'd never begrudge him that.

I'd seen that Charlie had been toying with the idea of removing Bella's restrictions over the last few days and he'd finally done so just the night before. I knew, since Bella had been given her freedom back, she'd be around the house more and Jasper would be exposed to it again. He'd be able to build his tolerance back up. We'd just have to be cautious in the meantime.

The school bell rang then, interrupting my thoughts. I gathered up my books and made my way to the cafeteria, passing through the lunch line and taking my tray to the table we sat at everyday. Only it wasn't my siblings that I was sitting with this year.

This year was the first that any of us had actually mingled with other students during the lunch hour. And that was all because of Bella. The friends she'd made had somewhat nervously accepted me and Edward into their fold when we'd come back. They'd been reluctant at first, but, over time, they'd come to accept our presence as normal simply because Bella did.

She was bridging gaps that had never been crossed before.

Angela and her boyfriend Ben were already at the table when I got there. They both looked up as I took my seat.

"Hey, Alice," Angela smiled genuinely, though there was a tiredness around her eyes that wasn't normally there. Ben looked up and smiled as well before bending back over the comic book he'd been poring over.

"Hi," I chirped, smiling brightly at Angela. "Are you all right? You look tired," I said, noting her abnormally disheveled appearance.

"I'm stressing out," she admitted, slumping back in her chair and pushing her hair off her forehead. "I've got a million things to do before graduation, and I'm running out of time."

Edward and Bella's arrival then prevented me from responding. Edward pulled out Bella's chair for her, and they both sat down.

I couldn't help my resigned sigh as I bemoaned Bella's usual attire once again. I couldn't understand why she wouldn't pick anything to wear for herself that wasn't blue jeans and a t-shirt. How could she just not care how she looked? Bella was too pretty to hide herself behind such plain clothes. I couldn't understand it at all.

But she couldn't seem to care less what she wore, and Edward didn't give it any thought either.

If she'd only let me help her out…

Bella sighed deeply just then as if she knew exactly what I was thinking. She probably did. It wasn't like we hadn't had that conversation before.

One of these days, though…

"Have you sent your announcements yet?" Angela asked Bella as soon as they sat down.

"No," Bella answered, shaking her head. "There's no point, really. Renee knows when I'm graduating. Who else is there?"

"How about you, Alice?" She turned back to me.

"All done." I smiled at her. It wasn't technically a lie. There just weren't any to be sent.

"Lucky you," she sighed miserably. "My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to hand-address one to everybody. I'm going to get carpal tunnel. I can't put it off any longer and I'm just dreading it."

"I'll help you," Bella volunteered quickly. "If you don't mind my awful handwriting."

Relief overtook Angela's face immediately. She actually looked like she might just cry. "That's so nice of you. I'll come over any time you want."

"Actually," Bella said, a small smile playing at her lips, "I'd rather go to your house if that's okay – I'm sick of mine. Charlie ungrounded me last night."

"Really?" Angela asked, genuinely happy and excited for her friend. "I thought you said you were in for life."

"I'm more surprised than you are. I was sure I would at least have finished high school before he set me free."

"Well, this is great, Bella! We'll have to go out to celebrate."

"You have no idea how good that sounds." Bella's smile stretched over her face.

"What should we do?" I thought aloud, my mind whirling with possibilities.

"Whatever you're thinking, Alice," Bella's voice broke into my plotting, "I doubt I'm that free."

"Free is free, right?" I insisted.

"I'm sure I still have boundaries – like the continental U.S. for example," she said drily.

Rats. There went that plan…

Ben and Angela laughed like Bella had told a joke, and Edward's mouth tipped in a crooked grin. He alone knew just how close to home Bella's words had struck, and I fought the urge to stick my tongue out at him. He hadn't been part of the conversation up to that point anyway.

"So what are we doing tonight?" I persisted.

"Nothing," Bella said firmly. "Let's give it a couple of days to make sure he wasn't joking. It's a school night anyway."

She did have a point. "We'll celebrate this weekend, then."

"Sure," she said in a placating tone. She wasn't any fun sometimes.

"We should all go get dinner at the Italian restaurant," Angela suggested. "They have the _best_ breadsticks."

"They've opened up a new boutique across from the mall," I told her. "We could go there." I knew I wouldn't find anything of real interest there, the selection was much too limited, but it was better than nothing.

"I saw that," Angela said, her eyes lighting with an excitement that I never saw from Bella when I mentioned a new store opening up. In fact, Bella had tuned out of the conversation altogether, her eyes distant, lost in her own thoughts.

"We could catch a movie," Ben interjected. "There's a new one out that looks good."

"Is that the one you were telling me about yesterday?" Angela asked tentatively.

"Yeah, that's the one," he nodded.

"I thought you said Austin wanted to go with you when you saw it." Angela's voice was gentle, her face placid. I knew she really didn't want to go see whatever movie he was talking about, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings either. She was much too kind-hearted for that.

Whatever Ben's response to her might have been was lost to me as a flash of red behind my eyes captured my attention, making the sounds of the cafeteria fade into nothingness… I was captive in the world that existed only inside my mind – for the moment at least.

I saw trees – the same trees that I recognized from our hunts in the woods surrounding Forks. Darkness. Night. The flash of red from before. Long, wild red hair, I saw this time. And a face I'd been watching out for weeks prior to this.

Victoria.

It was Victoria.

A sharp jolt to my leg broke me from the vision, but the dread pooling in my stomach remained lodged there. Edward was watching me from across the table, a partaker in the vision I'd just witnessed. His face gave no indication of what we'd seen, however. His expression was calm, a perfect mask of amusement on his features.

Ben and Angela were both watching me with wide, concerned eyes. Bella's eyes were locked on me as well, but they were lit not with concern but with fear. She knew what the vacancy of my expression had meant. She'd seen it many times before.

"Is it naptime already, Alice?" Edward teased for the benefit of the humans sitting beside me.

"Sorry," I shook my head as if clearing my thoughts, "I was daydreaming, I guess."

"Daydreaming is better than facing two more hours of school," Ben said, letting go of the awkwardness just that easily. We picked up our earlier conversation about plans for the weekend right where we'd left off. Only for a moment did my eyes lock with Edward's.

_She's coming back, Edward. And it's soon. This weekend maybe, as close as I can determine._

His composure didn't waver for even a moment, but I knew his mind was working furiously to conjure up a plan. He was silent throughout the rest of the lunch hour, toying absentmindedly with a strand of Bella's hair. Bella knew something was wrong. It was obvious in her eyes. But she knew she couldn't ask while there was anyone else around.

And Edward made sure there was someone around at all times for the rest of the day, even deigning to talk to Mike Newton in the parking lot after school in order to avoid giving her the chance to ask. I knew he wanted to protect her from the knowledge, but it wasn't like he could avoid her finding out forever.

Mike was having issues with his car apparently. And, much to everyone's astonishment, particularly Mike's, Edward had offered to take a look at it.

"Er… thanks," I heard Mike say from my place in the backseat of the Volvo. "But I have to get to work. Maybe some other time."

"Absolutely," Edward responded agreeably.

"What was _that_ about?" Bella muttered under her breath as Edward held open the passenger door for her.

"Just being helpful," Edward answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You're really not _that_ good a mechanic, Edward," I told him, helping him out in deterring Bella from asking about my vision. It would be better for them to be alone when they had that conversation anyway.

"Maybe you should have Rosalie take a look at it tonight, just so you look good if Mike decides to let you help, you know. Not that it wouldn't be fun to watch his face if _Rosalie_ showed up to help. But since Rosalie is supposed to be across the country attending college, I guess that's not the best idea. Too bad. Though I suppose, for Mike's car, you'll do. It's only with the finer tunings of a good Italian sports car that you're out of your depth. And speaking of Italy and sports cars that I stole there, you still owe me a yellow Porsche. I don't know that I want to wait for Christmas…"

I kept rambling on about nothing in particular until he stopped at the mouth of the driveway to drop me off as he did everyday. He shot me a grateful look surreptitiously in the rearview mirror as I opened my door.

I threw a glance at him before I stepped out.

_You can't put it off forever, you know. She's going to find out eventually. And it will be a lot better for you if you're honest with her up front. Trust me._

His face gave no indication that he'd heard me. "See you later," he said as if nothing was wrong.

_Don't do anything stupid_, I warned him. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded. But I knew it wouldn't do any good. He was fanatical about protecting her from anything that could even make her worry. He'd find some way out of telling her. I knew that already.

Jasper was in his study upstairs when I walked in the door. I went immediately to find him. He was standing at one of the long lines of bookcases, flipping through the pages of the thick, heavy book resting on his arm.

He looked up with a warm smile when I tapped lightly at the doorframe. "Well, hi there," he said, placing his book back on the shelf and stepping forward to wrap me up in his arms. "I wasn't expecting to see you home so soon." He stooped down to take my lips softly with his.

"Edward's with Bella this afternoon. Charlie ungrounded her last night," I told him when he released my lips, snuggling deeper into his embrace.

"That's good." His eyebrows knit together, sensing that something wasn't right. He cupped my chin gently with his fingers, tipping my head back to look at him. "What is it?" he asked, concerned.

"It's Victoria," I told him. "I saw her today. She's coming here."

Any hint of a smile vanished immediately from Jasper's face. His expression became almost business-like. "Could you tell when?"

"This weekend, maybe. That's about as close as I can pin it down at this point."

He nodded, deep in thought. "We'll be ready for her, then."

The calm assurance of his words eased my mind. He was right – as usual. We'd be ready and waiting for her when she came. We wouldn't let her get close enough to hurt Bella. And it was quite possible that any threat she presented could be dealt with in just a few short days.

"Yes," I nodded determinedly. "We will be. Edward is going to try to convince Bella to go to Florida to see her mom this weekend. I think that's a bit much, but at least she'll be well away from the danger."

Jasper hummed in response. I knew his mind was racing as he plotted every possible scenario, preparing a response for each one. That was just what he did. That was one of the reasons why he was so successful in a fight. Very little took him by surprise. He was much too thorough for that.

"Let her come," he said, unfazed and unafraid. "We'll be ready. And it will be the last mistake she'll ever make."

Jasper's confidence was contagious. And I could only hope he was right. 

* * *

I'm going to try to have the second chapter out in the coming week, but we'll see how it goes. You never know, this might just be my last post until next year! :P (That sounds bad, huh? LOL) Please take a second and let me know what you thought! I'm ridiculously nervous about this new story for some reason.

Thanks so much for reading!

Hugs,

Nik


	2. Chapter 2

Well, folks, I think it's safe to say this will be my last post until next year. :P Thanks so much for your incredibly positive response to the first chapter. I'm glad so many of you seem to be as excited for this one as I am. I can only hope I can make it live up to our expectations!

You might notice as we go along that I'm writing with a mix of the book as well as the movie… and taking a hint of creative license in a few places. No disrespect or copyright infringement is intended to either. :)

And lastly, remember you can follow me on Twitter for updates, teasers, and other general randomness. ;) (a)AnEnduringHope if you're interested. I tweeted a picture earlier today of the incredibly beautiful banner that DazzledbyJake surprised me with. I'll be posting the link to that on my profile page as well if you'd like to check it out.

Enough from me… Enjoy! 

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Alice**

Later that evening, after the rest of our family had been warned about our coming visitor, I saw that Edward and Bella were on the way over to the house. She'd wanted to use her new freedom to spend some time with Esme.

Edward had been able to successfully convince her to use the vouchers Carlisle and Esme had given her for her birthday and go to Florida with him over the weekend. But it hadn't gone particularly well. It had caused an argument between Bella and Charlie, and she was upset with him now for interfering.

Edward was just relieved. He'd take her momentary frustration with him if it meant assuring her safety in the long run. He considered it a small price to pay for protecting her.

The low purr of the Volvo's engine signaled their approach. Jasper and I were curled up together on one end of the couch as we heard the sound of their footsteps on the walkway in front of the house.

I was a little bit concerned about Jasper just now. It wasn't that I didn't trust him – not at all – but the last time he'd had any contact at all with a human had been on the night when Bella had sneaked over to our house to put her mortality to a vote.

And that had been almost two months ago.

Even still, Jasper's body didn't tense in the slightest against mine when Bella stepped through the door, filling the room with her scent. The smile on his lips was relaxed and genuine as he greeted her. "Hello, Bella." There was no discernable tension to be found in his voice or behind his eyes.

"Hey, Jasper," she greeted in kind. "How've you been?"

"Just fine. Feel good to be a free woman again?"

"Oh, you have _no_ idea," she enthused.

"Bella!" Esme swept into the room just then and scooped Bella up into a tight hug, rocking her from side to side. "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Bella said, kissing her on the cheek and squeezing her tight. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, sweetheart." Esme wrapped her arm around Bella's waist and led her into the kitchen. "So, tell me all about what you've been up to. How's school going?"

Their voices carried into the kitchen as Esme put a kettle onto the stove to make hot chocolate for Bella. They chattered happily away as they caught up on the last couple of months since they'd seen each other.

Edward smiled contentedly to himself as he listened to them talk. I knew it pleased him greatly that Bella got along with his family so well and that we in return genuinely loved her as well. Somehow, impossible though it ought to be, she just fit with us.

He sat down at the little table on one side of the room where the chess board was left lying out from when Jasper and Carlisle had played earlier before Carlisle went to work. I knew it was Carlisle instead of Emmett because there was only one board sitting out instead of the eight Jasper and Emmett used. I swore those two made up the rules as they went along. No one else understood their complicated system.

Edward toyed absently with one of the pawns, distracted by the voices in the other room. I slid from Jasper's lap, kissing him lightly on the chin, and crossed the room to sit on the other side of the table from Edward.

"Feel like getting beat tonight?" I asked him cheekily.

"No, but _you_ must," he retorted, grinning back.

"Shut it and set up the board," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back in my seat.

He did. And right about the time we were getting ready to start, Bella ambled back into the living room, watching us curiously. Edward and I were both watching carefully, though we tried not to make it obvious, as she crossed the room to sit on the opposite side of the couch from Jasper.

I knew that Edward and I were both unable to help recalling what had happened the last time we'd all been in this very same room together. Eight months earlier. At Bella's birthday party. When our worlds had nearly been torn to pieces in one single moment.

But neither Jasper nor Bella seemed to be thinking of that. Neither one seemed to feel awkward being here… sitting on the same couch, no less.

Jasper didn't seem to be affected at all by her close proximity, and she didn't seem to be even slightly frightened, or remotely concerned, by his.

They were both watching as Edward and I played our game. Jasper's expression was amused. He'd seen the way we played many times before. Bella hadn't, and her face was rather priceless as she watched.

Because of our gifts, Edward and I played the majority of the game inside our minds. Few pieces actually moved on the board. I saw the moves he was planning, he saw my visions and my corresponding moves and adjusted accordingly. A total of two pawns had been moved before I flicked my king over in defeat, conceding this round to him, and slumped back in my seat to pout.

Edward glanced back at Bella who was still observing us wide-eyed and slightly confused. Jasper chuckled quietly at her expression. "It's something to see, isn't it?" he asked her wryly.

She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I can honestly say I've never seen anything quite like that before."

"Do you know how to play?" he asked her conversationally.

"No," she shook her head again. "I've never had the chance to learn how."

"Would you like to?" Bella looked at him curiously at the offer. "I'll teach you if you want."

"I probably won't be any good at it," she said uncertainly.

He smiled encouragingly at her, winking playfully. "I'll take it easy on you."

"Okay," she agreed a little hesitantly. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Edward and I relinquished our places as Jasper and Bella sat across from each other at the small table. We were both unable to help cataloguing everything, taking note and analyzing the way they interacted.

I knew Bella had forgiven Jasper immediately when he'd lost control at her birthday party last year. She'd been genuinely concerned for him afterwards, and she'd made it clear that she'd never blamed him for what happened.

But even knowing that, it was still a little surprising how easily she interacted with him now. She didn't seem to have any lingering fear at sitting so near to him. She listened intently as he explained the object of the game, the rules, and how the different pieces could move.

Even her posture surprised me. She leaned in over the board as he demonstrated, not shying back as would have been a more expected response. She asked questions freely when she was uncertain about something, like this wasn't the longest conversation they'd ever had. Any other conversation that would have even come close would have been back when Jasper and I had traveled with her to Phoenix. But that was before everything else had happened. And so much had changed since then.

Jasper didn't so much as flinch back from her. He was breathing normally, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm. Not a trace of strain was there to be found no matter how hard I looked. And I was very good at reading him. He was completely relaxed, one elbow resting on his knees as he leaned in as well. He answered all of her questions patiently and thoroughly until he was satisfied that she understood.

They played one practice game where he walked her through each turn and then moved on to a real game. Even though I knew he really was holding back and trying not to smother her, there really was no competition. He won by an absolute landslide.

She laughed, bemused, after it was over. "I told you I wouldn't be any good," she said, smiling.

"You did well for never having played before," Jasper told her with a genuine smile. "I've just had a lot more time to learn the tricks of the game."

"That and you're not limited by a weak human mind," she pointed out, tongue-in-cheek.

"True," he chuckled lightly. "Tell you what, one of these days, you and I will have a rematch when it's more even. But I won't be taking it easy on you then," he warned with a smirk.

"You're on." She held out her hand, and he shook it firmly like they were closing on a business transaction.

Bella turned back towards me and Edward, completely oblivious to how closely we'd been observing the two of them. "You'd better take me home before it gets any later," she told Edward a little reluctantly.

"All right. Are you ready now?"

"In just a second. Let me say goodbye to Esme real quick," she said, going back into the kitchen to find her.

Jasper stood and slid both hands casually in his front pockets, crossing the room to stand beside us. "So," he drawled when Bella was out of earshot, "did I pass inspection?" Edward and I both gaped at him, but he seemed amused rather than upset. "You were trying a little too hard to be subtle," he informed us drily.

If it had been possible, my face would have flushed beet red. "Jasper, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," he cut me off gently, wrapping one arm around my waist. "It's not like your fears were unfounded."

Edward ran an awkward hand through his hair, but he was prevented from saying anything by Bella's reappearance.

"Okay, I'm ready now," she said, slipping her hand into Edward's and leaning in to him. "Bye, Jasper, and thanks. See you tomorrow, Alice."

We both wished her a good night and waved as they pulled away. After they were gone, Jasper and I wandered back up to our room. I sank down on the edge of the bed, feeling a little guilty that he'd noticed how we'd been watching him.

"Don't be silly, Alice," he said, feeling my guilt and unease. He kicked his shoes off and stretched out on the bed, propping himself on his elbow. He patted the space next to him invitingly. I joined him on the bed, curling myself into the warmth of his side.

"I just don't want you to think I don't trust you. I do," I said in explanation, tracing my finger over his forearm when he draped it over my abdomen, enveloping me against him.

"I know you do. And I understand exactly why you and Edward were concerned." He tightened his arm across my stomach, drawing me nearer as he searched for what he wanted to say. "Alice, it's just that… every time in the past when I lost control, I regretted it, of course, and I hated that I disappointed you and everyone else… but… when I lost control the last time, it was _so much worse_ than that.

"I didn't just _disappoint_, Alice, I almost _destroyed_. I didn't just _witness_ Edward's pain at being separated from Bella, I _lived_ it with him. And with everything that happened afterwards, I almost lost everything and everyone I cared about. My loss of control almost ultimately cost me _you_. It almost destroyed our family from its very core.

"Going through all of that didn't necessarily change my instinctive reaction to human blood, but, knowing and having experienced the ripple effects of giving in, it makes the temptation of it a lot less appealing," he admitted quietly. "I won't make that mistake again, Alice. I _won't_," he whispered with deep fervency.

I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms tightly around him, burying my face in the curve of his shoulder. I pressed a lingering kiss to the tendon in his neck, not entirely sure what to say to his quiet confession. I knew – I'd seen firsthand – just how terrible the effects of the last year had been for him. It was only natural that such trauma would influence his thinking now. I hated that he'd been put through that, but if it helped him gain a foothold against his struggles, then maybe it wasn't for nothing after all.

I followed the line of his neck with my lips, searching for his mouth – which he gave readily. My fingers tangled in his hair as my lips spoke without words what was in my heart, kissing him deeply and with achingly poignant tenderness.

"I love you," I whispered into his parted lips.

The rest of the week passed without incident. Jasper and I informed the rest of the family about Victoria's impending arrival, and we all made plans to be ready for her when she came. Edward and Bella flew to Jacksonville on Friday morning, putting them both safely out of harm's way.

I kept a very close watch out for Victoria's approach, constantly zoning in and out of the present as I monitored her every decision. I'd determined that she was set to arrive in Forks during the very early morning hours on Saturday. Two or three o'clock in the morning, perhaps.

When that time came, we were ready. All six of us stood in a cluster deep in the forest as we waited for her to show up. She was close, I knew that, and approaching from the southeast.

I could feel Jasper hovering protectively at my side. I knew he was there, watching over me, even with my attention so completely diverted inside my mind. He was my eyes and my ears – my shield, should I need it – when I was so deeply absorbed.

I knew that the rest of our family was completely attuned to the sights, sounds, and scents all around us in the depths of the woods. We were all waiting on a hair trigger, ready to move at an instant's notice.

"Are you sure this is where you saw her?" As if from underwater I heard Carlisle's question, distant and distorted to my ears.

"She's almost here," I murmured, watching the quick play of pictures behind my eyes, waiting for just the right moment to know she was near enough to strike. She was close. I knew she was. She was almost here…

"On your left," I cried, snapping back into the present when I saw what I'd been waiting for. It only took a fraction of an instant for me to reorient myself to my surroundings, but by that time I was half a step behind everyone else. They were all racing through the woods like they'd been shot from a canon.

Jasper and Emmett raced the farthest in front, running close at Victoria's heels. She changed course when she knew we were pursuing her, fleeing in the direction of La Push. The tell-tale stench of werewolf grew stronger the closer we ran towards the reservation, burning my nose, feeling thick in the back of my throat.

The six of us spread out, trying to surround Victoria, to corner her, or to force her into a pocket, anything to slow her down or stop her. But it was almost as if she possessed some uncanny instinct to know exactly where we'd go a split second before we actually did. She was always one step ahead no matter what we did.

Jasper and Emmett both lunged for her when they were able to get within arm's reach. But both of them ended up on their faces in the dirt before jumping back up and right back into the chase.

The closer we got to the treaty line, the more the stench increased, and, as it did, I noticed that my visions of the immediate future grew more blurry and indistinct. They flickered like a candle left in a draft. I didn't like that, especially not now, not when so much was riding on our success here. I felt vulnerable without my sight. I felt blind.

The thundering sound of pursuit coming from the direction of the reservation caught my attention as well as everyone else's. Only the steps didn't sound human… not at all. We glanced towards the sound, over the treaty line… and my steps faltered for a split second. Jasper's expression mirrored mine almost exactly as the two of us saw for the first time the other party behind the treaty.

Wolves.

_Huge_ wolves… almost as big as horses – and much more fearsome. There were six of them and they were growling and snarling ferociously as they raced after Victoria on their side of the line.

It was just as if she knew exactly where the line lay, and she used that to her advantage, straddling it so that neither we nor the wolves could get too close to her. She danced from one side to the other, just when we thought we might grab her, she'd leap to the other side. And when the pack grew close enough to nip at her heels, she crossed back over to us.

Her evasive dance was incredibly frustrating, especially for Jasper and Emmett. They'd both come so close to her several times, but she was always just out of reach. I could see their scowls deepening, their determination mounting as they raced along as close to the boundary as they could safely get.

I wasn't necessarily worried about Jasper letting his irritation make him careless, that wasn't his nature. The angrier he got, the more deliberate and decisive – and, any other time, deadly – his reactions became. This was familiar territory to him, and he knew better than most how costly one instant of carelessness could be. But Emmett was another story entirely. His movements were getting more hasty, and he was showing less and less discretion as his frustration grew.

I fought to see around the darkness where my visions should be, but nothing was clear. I couldn't see anything definitively no matter how hard I tried. And I didn't like that at all. It worried me.

And it only took a single moment for everything to go horribly wrong.

Any other time I would have seen it coming, and we might have been able to avoid it. But not this time. This time I could only watch on helplessly just like everyone else.

This time, when Victoria darted back over the line, Emmett snapped, tired of dancing around her and avoiding the boundary. He lunged at her… and missed. Jasper, Rosalie, and Carlisle all yelled for Emmett to stop, but it was too late. He went flying over the line and narrowly missing a collision with the big grey wolf, much to the surprise and fury of the others. Immediately Victoria was forgotten as they turned on Emmett, barking and growling like they were possessed.

Everything after that happened almost instantaneously.

Rosalie shot over the line to Emmett's defense, snarling furiously as she raced to his side.

Before this moment, I didn't think I'd ever seen real fear on Carlisle's face – he was always our pillar of unshakeable strength no matter the circumstances. But knowing the potential that this situation had to quickly become devastating – and deadly – I saw a flash of fear, real and unmistakable as it passed over his features.

Heedless of the danger he was putting himself in, he crossed over and threw himself between the enraged wolves and Emmett and Rosalie, throwing his arms out to block them.

Esme's stifled gasp echoed loudly in my ears as she came to a sudden stop beside me, latching onto my arm in her own terror. I grabbed her hand and held to it with all my might as I tried to force my way through the darkness inside my mind. But it was no use. There was nothing there.

Our futures – all of them – had disappeared completely. No matter how hard I tried, there was nothing but an endless void. Fear, thick and choking, lodged itself in my throat. I felt cold and sick. Emmett and Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme… Jasper… they'd all vanished from my sight even though I could see them right there in front of me… but for how much longer if the situation couldn't be diffused? Was there a future for us after this? Or was the treaty about to be broken in a terrible and irreversible manner? I couldn't tell.

No sooner had Carlisle crossed the line than Jasper was right there behind him, stepping also in front of Emmett and Rose. Immediately, a thick blanket of serenity fell over all of us, washing away all of the fear and aggression. It was still there, tickling at the edges of our consciousness, but we were unable to do anything about it. It was as if we were looking at it through a bubble. Insulated against it.

Unable to feel anything other than the calm that Jasper was producing, we all relaxed our postures. The wolves straightened from their aggressive stances, blinking several times, confused and not understanding the alien emotions that overtook them nor where they came from.

Esme eased her grip on my arm as the tension vanished. Carlisle glanced quickly at Emmett and Rosalie, ensuring that they were unharmed. I heard that he was speaking, attempting to soothe the wolf pack and assure them that we meant them no harm, but the words barely registered to me. I couldn't make myself stop fighting against the darkness that chained my mind. The longer I went without being able to see anything the more I wanted to worry… only I couldn't quite do that with the blanket of peace that Jasper still kept wrapped around us all.

Not taking his wary eyes off the wolves, Jasper laid one hand on Emmett's arm and one on Rose's, motioning them back to the other side of the line. Neither of them argued as they crossed back over quickly. Esme released me when they came closer, squeezing Emmett's hand and wrapping her arm around Rose's waist, angling herself so that she was standing slightly in front of them, shielding them. The more distance there was between them and the wolf pack, the better it would be.

When they were safely on our side of the line again, Carlisle and Jasper slowly backed over as well. Gradually, Jasper released his hold on our emotions, removing the bubble of serenity he'd placed us in. He came to stand in front of me, arms slightly spread to block me from the wolves' view. I clutched tightly at his outstretched arm with one hand, fisting the other into the back of his shirt, feeling decidedly less fearful now that he was right here.

I still couldn't see anything at all, but at least my loved ones were gathered in a tight cluster around me and not staring directly into the wolves' bared fangs. The danger seemed to be over for now.

With the manufactured calm no longer in place, the pack resumed their warning stance, though it was slightly less menacing now that there was a safer distance between us and them.

Somehow Carlisle was able to convince the alpha wolf that Victoria was still our main priority, that she posed as much of a threat to us as she did to them… and to the people of Forks. Even though I was standing right there, I still couldn't believe that he was able to convince them to continue the pursuit – and to let us continue alongside them – but he did, and we all set out to follow her scent again.

But by this time, Victoria was long gone, having taken full advantage of our distraction. The whole affair from before had lasted no more than two minutes, but that was more than enough for her to put a sizeable distance in place. We followed her trail to the cliffs of Makah, but that was as far as we could go. Her scent disappeared into the water.

Not willing to give up the chase that easily, Jasper attempted to persuade the Quileutes to allow just Emmett and him to pass through only long enough to track her down. But they would have none of it.

They bared their teeth, growling low in their chests. Their body language left no need for an interpreter. It was all too clear. She was gone. And we were done for now. There was nothing we could do except return home.

So we did. Reluctantly, we left the end of the trail where it was and made our way back home, frustrated and thwarted. No one more so than Emmett and Jasper.

Emmett swore furiously under his breath the whole way back to the house until Esme finally turned to him with a quiet, "Emmett, enough." He didn't say another word, but his scowl didn't lessen.

Jasper said absolutely nothing. Yet his face said everything.

I glanced at him, taking in his livid expression – the taut line of his jaw, the muscle there twitching in his repressed anger, the firm, unyielding set of his lips, the hard, angry glint of his eyes. He didn't look at any of us. And when we got back to the house, he made his way straight upstairs. His footsteps sounded heavily on the stairs, and the door to his study shut with a resounding slam as he sequestered himself away to fume in private.

Everyone else scattered to various corners of the house, needing time to ourselves to regroup from the failure of the night. I trudged up to my room, sinking down on the edge of the bed. Once we'd left the wolves behind, my sight had finally returned, but I was still shaken by it's total disappearance earlier. I hadn't realized just how much I relied on it until it was taken away. I'd felt like I was missing a limb without it. Seeing everyone I love completely disappear into a black void was one of the most terrifying things I'd ever experienced.

Yet the worst part of the whole mess was that it was all for nothing. Victoria was still out there somewhere. We were no better off now than when we'd started.

And before we could put the whole fiasco behind us, we still had to tell Edward.

Sighing deeply, I went to my dresser and grabbed my cell phone. For a long moment, I stood there and glared at the small silver phone as if it was the cause of the whole mess before reluctantly pressing the button to speed dial Edward.

With the time difference, it was midmorning in Florida, and I could see that Bella and her mom were out of the house, taking a stroll on the beach and leaving Edward to work on his fabricated term paper in their absence. A little bitterly I noted that _now_ my visions were unhindered… now that it wasn't so vital. It just figured.

Edward picked up on the first ring. "Hello?" he said, his voice hopeful.

"Hey," I responded quietly, and, undeniably, somewhat glumly.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. "That doesn't sound promising," he sighed resignedly.

"It's not. She got away," I told him reluctantly.

Once again, there was silence from his end. And then he swore fervently under his breath. "Sorry," he apologized a moment later for his crass language.

"Don't be. You should have heard Emmett on the way home."

Edward snorted. "I can just imagine. What happened?" he asked, sounding tired and discouraged.

"We had a bit of excitement."

He picked up on the hint of hesitation in my voice immediately. "Is everyone all right?" His voice was worried.

"We're fine. We just had a little bit of an… _encounter_… with the wolf pack tonight."

"Oh no. Tell me everything," he said intently, suddenly all business. And I did, leaving nothing out. "I guess we don't have any other choice but to write this one off as a loss and try again another time," he said when I finished, sounding resigned. I knew as bad as we all hated that she'd managed to get away, he hated it even worse.

"You still haven't told Bella anything." It wasn't a question.

"She has enough on her mind to worry about without adding to it unnecessarily," he insisted stubbornly. "Victoria will never get close enough to hurt her. We won't allow it. So there's really no reason to scare her."

"Edward, she's going to be pissed as hell at you for lying to her. Do you really want – "

"Alice," he cut me off, his voice quiet and undeniably earnest, "all I want is for her to be safe and to be happy. And I'll do whatever I have to do to see that she stays that way. She's giving up far too much to be with me as it is, I don't want to take away any peace of mind she has left. She's in no danger, and I won't worry her needlessly. If she gets angry with me for that, then so be it. I may not be able to protect her from it indefinitely, but I still have to try."

"Edward, I know you mean well, but I still think you need to tell her before this ends up coming back to bite you later. And trust me, it will. It always does."

"Then I'll deal with that when the time comes."

"You are _so_ stubborn." I chuckled under my breath. "And you know what?" I asked him drily, "I didn't really think it was possible, but you might just be even worse than Jasper with your need to protect."

"I have to be," he said with a smile in his voice, though there was a distinct note of sincerity to his words. "You're not mortal. Bella is."

"Still, though, that's pretty bad. Tell her, Edward," I insisted.

"No, Alice."

"Then don't come crying to me when it blows up in your face."

"That's not even a physiological possibility," he teased, trying to distract me.

"You're a jerk," I told him, unable to completely keep my lips from twitching in a smile.

"I love you, too, Alice," he dead-panned.

"Yeah, yeah," I sighed dramatically. "Don't you have a paper to write or something?"

"Very funny. I'll see you tomorrow when we get home."

"Okay. Hug Bella for me."

"I can do that."

With that, we disconnected the call, and any momentary lightness that our bantering had caused there at the end of our conversation faded away immediately. I felt unsettled and discouraged once again – both about Victoria and my failing sight.

I'd known before that I wasn't able to _see_ the wolves, and I knew that Bella's future had disappeared when her wolf friend had saved her from drowning back in March. But I hadn't known that it could affect my ability so completely… that it would nullify it altogether. I hadn't ever thought that I'd see everyone's future disappear at once. Seeing my whole family vanish like that wasn't a feeling I was likely to ever forget even if I could.

My inability to see bothered me much more than I wanted to admit… especially if it continued to be a problem in the future. We all depended on it far more than we should… _I _depended on it more than I should. Now perhaps more than ever.

I felt restless and anxious. Tired and worried. And there was only one person who would be able to help.

I needed Jasper. 

* * *

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you all have a safe and very happy new year! See you in 2011! :)

Xoxox

Nik


	3. Chapter 3

SO sorry for the wait! Those of you who have been subjected to me on Twitter lately know that I've been dealing with a lot on a personal level, and that drained me of pretty much all creative energy. A big thanks to all of you who have been so sweet and supportive of me during all of that… particularly my girls LittlePixieCullen88, koko23cat, and beckaboowriter. I'd be lost without you. I hope you know that.

The other thing that held this chapter up is a short story that I'm currently working on that has _owned_ me for the last several weeks. It's a completely AH/AU historical piece that I'm hoping to have finished and ready to post very soon. Keep your eyes open for "No Greater Love" coming to a fan fic site near you. ;)

Enough from me for now… on with the show! 

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Jasper**

I stood at the windows in my study, breathing deeply, evenly, trying to calm myself… not a particularly easy task at the moment. I was absolutely furious. Even with my eyes wide open, I didn't see the green of the trees or the lightening of the sky behind the thick pearly grey curtain of clouds.

I was still seeing red… the red haze of fury and the red of Victoria's fiery mane as she escaped from my reach.

We had been _so_ close. Much too close to walk away in defeat.

Failure wasn't something I dealt with well. In my mind, there was no excuse for it. When I set out to do something, it was done no matter what lengths I had to go to in order to accomplish it.

But what angered me even more than the defeat was being told that I _couldn't_ finish what I had begun.

I had no qualms following the proper chain of command. I was just as comfortable receiving orders as I was giving them. I was still a soldier at heart no matter how many years it had been since I had served in an army. I was well accustomed to obeying orders quickly and without question.

And I had no concerns ceding control to Carlisle. It wasn't difficult to submit to his authority, knowing that his decisions were fueled by a deep love for all of us and his desire for our well-being. He was ruled by compassion, using his authority not to further his own ends but for the good of those relying on him. He was truly a leader worth following. I thought of him with nothing but respect. In fact, there was no one in the entire course of my life that I had ever respected more than the man I had come to consider my father.

On the other hand, to be told by a pack of furry, flea-bitten _dogs_ that I couldn't complete the task I had undertaken… that was nothing short of intolerable. It had taken great restraint to bite my tongue and walk away when they'd stopped us short of our goal. I did _not_ take my orders from overgrown, adolescent boys turned watchdogs.

If not for the safety of my family and out of respect for my father, I would have most likely said to hell with it and done what I needed to do anyway. But I had felt Carlisle's fear when Emmett and Rosalie crossed the line. That wasn't an emotion I usually associated with him. Carlisle was our rock and our guide, but, at that moment, he was truly fearful for the lives of his family. That, more than anything else could have, proved to me just how dire the situation had the potential to become if we stepped out of line.

It could have very easily turned into a fight with the wolves. Some, or all of us, could have died. And, even had we not, the repercussions of breaking the treaty would have been severe. We had given our word that we would live in peace with the Quileutes, and we had an obligation to keep it. Whether I liked it or not.

And, at the moment, I most decidedly did not.

The soft tread of footsteps outside the door caught my attention, and, from the other side, I felt a tremoring of uncertainty, of hesitation. The scent, the quiet sound of the footsteps, even the tingling in the base of my neck, told me it was Alice. I waited for her to come in, but she didn't. I knew she was on the other side, but she was hesitating… for what reason I didn't know.

Finally, a knock so soft it was almost inaudible sounded on the wood. Alice never knocked. She didn't need to. She knew the door wasn't shut to keep her out. It never was.

Concerned now, I called to her. "Alice? You can come in."

The doorknob turned slowly, and Alice peeked through the crack. "Am I disturbing you?" she asked in a low, trembling voice.

"Of course not," I couldn't keep the shock from my voice at her question. "You could never _disturb_ me, Alice. You know that."

She bit her lip, casting her eyes down to the ground. My previous anger and irritation were forgotten instantly at the evidence of her obvious distress. Immediately, anything else became of secondary importance aside from comforting her.

I held out my hand to Alice, beckoning her to me. She slipped into the room and slid the door shut slowly behind her. In the next instant, she had flown across the room and into my waiting arms. She buried her face into my chest, wrapping her arms around me in a vice-like hold.

I swayed slowly with her in my arms, absorbing her emotional unrest. I wasn't sure exactly what was causing it, but I knew this went much deeper than the root of my anger. I highly doubted that Victoria's escape had anything to do with her disturbed state of mind.

"What's wrong?" I whispered into her hair, kissing the crown of her head and wrapping my arms just a little bit tighter around her.

For the longest time, she didn't answer, just hid her face against me, letting me rock her back and forth. Her words were mumbled into my chest when she finally spoke. "You disappeared today."

My face twisted in confusion, not comprehending what she meant. "What?" I tucked my fingers under her chin and nudged her face up to look at me. "I don't understand."

"You disappeared," she repeated, her eyes troubled and clouded. "You all did. As soon as the wolves started chasing Victoria, everyone disappeared. I couldn't see anything at all. Everything went black… like we were all going to die."

I curved my body around hers, holding her even closer as she continued. "I knew I couldn't see the wolves, but _that_ wasn't something I ever thought to prepare myself for. It scared me," she whispered. "And I'm not a big fan of the dark."

Her last words were so muffled by my chest that I had to strain to hear them, but hear them I did… and they nearly ripped a hole in my chest.

"No," I breathed, kissing her forehead, "I can see why you aren't." Considering her past, that fear made a little too much sense.

Alice couldn't remember anything before waking up as an immortal. The darkness where her memories should be had always troubled her… especially when she'd found out why that void existed in the first place. She'd always compensated in part for her lack of hindsight by her unique foresight. I could easily understand now why she felt as unsettled as she did when it failed her.

"If I'd just been able to see, I might have been able to do something to stop Emmett from crossing the line. And if I had, then we might have been able to catch Victoria before she got away. Instead, we're no better off than we were last night. She's still out there," Alice's voice was flat – discouraged and weary.

I sighed deeply and loosened my grasp on her, taking her hand in mine and leading her over to the plush sofa. Sinking down into the buttery-soft leather, I nudged her onto my lap and wrapped her in a close embrace once again.

For a long moment, we just breathed together, our chests rising and falling in time with the other. Alice curled up in the circle of my arms, resting her head on my shoulder, knees pulled up to her chest as her tumultuous heart gradually eased.

"Darlin," I stroked her hair, "you can get caught up in all the 'what ifs' and the 'if onlys' all you want. But it doesn't do anything besides make you feel crazy. It doesn't change anything. Believe me."

"I know," she said with a resigned sigh. "We all wish it did, but it doesn't." She placed a soft kiss on my collar bone. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine," I reassured her. "Irritated, angry, and frustrated just like everyone else. But I'm fine."

"Next time," Alice said, a hint of steel behind her voice.

"Next time," I repeated with the same determination. Because one thing I was certain of, there _would_ be a next time. Victoria wasn't going to give up until we put an end to it.

And, no matter what we had to do or how long it took, we _would_ end it.

It was late Sunday evening when Edward and Bella flew back into Washington. Stars dotted the sky by the time we heard the purring of the Volvo's engine approaching the house. We were all gathered in the living room when Edward walked in through the garage.

Not sure what exactly to expect, I tested his emotional state carefully. He didn't seem to be angry. He was a little bit frustrated and discouraged – just as we all were to a degree – but those emotions still weren't nearly as prominent as I would have expected. He was largely calm, greeting us all warmly after his absence.

He returned Esme's welcoming hug with a genuine smile. "I'm glad you're back," she said, kissing his cheek. "Did you and Bella have a good time?"

"We did," he said, keeping his arm around her shoulder as they settled on the couch with Alice at Esme's other side. "Bella and Renee seemed to enjoy their visit." He smiled a little to himself. "Charlie was very glad to have her home, though."

Edward's smile faltered as soon as he spoke. We knew that her time with her parents was growing all too short, by Bella's own choice… something that Edward greatly lamented. He didn't want to take anything from her, he wanted to give her anything and everything instead. But, by choosing him and a life by his side, giving up her human family and friends was a sacrifice she had no choice but to make. Unless she chose to remain human, there was no alternative.

"I'm sure he was." Esme's smile was sad too as she squeezed Edward's hand.

"So," Edward sighed, leaning back into the couch as he changed the subject, "what did I miss?"

I could only imagine the thoughts he must have been bombarded with as all six of us recalled in detail the fruitless pursuit of the night before. His face creased in a frown, but he didn't look overly upset. He was handling it better than I had thought he might.

"We almost had her," Emmett grumbled crossly. "If we'd just had a few more minutes before the wolves showed up, we might have been able to take her down." Rosalie nodded in concurrence.

"It was the strangest thing," I told Edward, "almost like she knew right where the treaty line was. And she used that to her advantage. She was always one move ahead of us."

"But how could she have known where it was?" Rosalie asked, one eyebrow arched. "It's not like we have a map drawn up. Nobody aside from us and the Quileutes knows where it is."

I just shrugged. "I don't know. But I do know it was much too accurate to be a mere coincidence."

Edward's face creased in concentration. I could feel his pensiveness as he mulled over the situation. "Maybe she does know."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked, leaning forward, intrigued.

Edward looked back and forth at all of us, his eyes intent. "Think about it. James was obsessed with the hunt – that's what he lived for. How _convenient_ would it have been for him if his mate had some kind of natural instinct for evasion… something ingrained so that they were always one step ahead of their pursuers. They would have been almost unstoppable. Do you know how valuable that would have been for someone like him?"

I turned to look out the window, digesting this new idea he'd presented, turning it over in my mind. "It's possible," I said almost to myself. "And it would answer quite a few questions."

Edward nodded. "She's been in the area before," he said, though the thought of that still obviously gutted him, "and the wolves were never able to get close enough to stop her. Neither could we, apparently. There has to be more to this than we're seeing… something we don't know."

"So what does that mean for us?" Esme asked. "She has to be stopped. It's much to dangerous for Bella otherwise."

"She'll be back," I assured her, "there's no doubt about that. We'll simply have to try again… and again until we win. And we _will_ win in the end." I was confident in that. We may have been set back this time, but the stakes were far too high to be defeated in the long run. We'd have other opportunities, and, no matter what we had to do, we'd stop her… one way or another.

Edward nodded, his face set. "As for Bella, Victoria will never get close enough to hurt her. I'll make sure of that. I'll do _whatever_ I have to do to keep her safe."

"Including lying to her," Alice muttered under her breath. Edward shot her an exasperated look over Esme's head. Alice shrugged, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm just saying."

Edward rolled his eyes, not bothering to even respond to that. "There's just one more thing. Jacob Black called while I was at Bella's earlier. He wants to speak to me tomorrow morning. Bella thinks he's checking to see if she's still human."

Alice's forehead wrinkled as she tried in vain to see that conversation in Edward's future. "Why would he think anything different?" she asked.

"All he knows is that she was gone for several days," Edward explained to her, "enough time for the change to have taken place."

"It would be none of his business if it had," Rosalie snapped.

"According to the treaty, it is, unfortunately. We made a promise not to harm another human, and they're going to hold us to that in every sense of the word. It won't matter if she chooses it or not, they're still going to consider it a violation."

Carlisle's shoulders stooped as he sighed heavily. There was no easy black and white answer to any of this. Bella wanted forever with Edward, and there was only one way for that to happen. But in order for that to take place, we were going to have to break our trust with the Quileutes… we'd be violating the treaty in a flagrant manner. Yet what other choice was there really?

As much a man of his word as Carlisle was, this weighed heavily on him. But his first loyalty was to his family… which meant it was with Bella and with Edward and what was best for their future.

"Then I suppose we'll simply have to deal with that when the time comes," Carlisle said solemnly. "There's nothing we can do right now. Just be careful tomorrow, and try to antagonize the boy as little as possible. It helps none of us to alienate them any further."

Edward nodded, though it was obvious in his eyes, to those of us who knew him so well, that the thought of being civil to his rival and natural enemy was repugnant. "Believe me," he said, "I have no desire to give him anymore ammunition to fight me with than he already has."

"_Obviously_ I can't see anything about it," Alice said, bitterness dripping from her tone, "so I'm afraid I'm no help."

"It's fine, Alice," Edward attempted to appease her, but she would have none of it.

"It's _not_ fine!" she said, anger flashing in her eyes. She couldn't hide the fear behind the anger though… not from me at least. She felt at a distinct disadvantage without her sight. She felt helpless… something she tolerated about as well as I did. In other words, not at all.

"I don't understand why I can't see them. It's so frustrating, especially right now. I _need_ to be able to see! I hate being blind." The last words were spoken to herself as she crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes betraying her anxiety.

Esme slipped her arm around Alice and nudged her head onto her shoulder, comforting her.

"I've been giving that a good bit of thought actually," Carlisle said, "why you can't see them, that is."

"Any ideas?" Alice asked glumly.

"A few," he told her, " though they're just theories. There's no way to really know accurately what causes it."

"Do you think it could be some kind of natural defense they're born with?" Edward asked, eyes bright as he jumped right into the topic. He and Carlisle were legendary for their debates and discussions, something they both enjoyed.

"I've considered that," Carlisle said, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "But I don't think that's a feasible explanation. If it were really a defense mechanism, you would be unable to hear their thoughts, and we know that's not the case. And Jasper was able to influence their emotional state without any difficulties, so that's even more evidence against that particular theory. It's obviously something that is central to the way Alice's gift operates that has no bearing on yours or Jasper's."

"What then?" Edward asked.

"I think it has to do with the actual act of the transformation."

"How so?"

All of us, Alice and I particularly, waited silently for Carlisle to continue, anxious to at least have some idea what it could be about them that hindered Alice's sight.

"The wolves' lives are largely ruled by their transformations," Carlisle explained. "And the change is not a conscious decision that they make, it's more an involuntary reaction to their surroundings. It's utterly unpredictable, and it changes everything about them – their physicality, their mental processes, everything. In that instant, when they shift from one form to another, they don't really even exist. The future can't hold them.

"Alice's sight is bound by the decisions a person makes – the course they're decided on is the one she sees – but, in this case, when they have little or no control over their course… when it has the potential to change at an instant's notice without any voluntary thought or intent, it makes sense that she's unable to see it."

"And if that's the case," I interjected, "it would be only logical that, when our future becomes intermingled with theirs, she'd be unable to see us either."

Carlisle nodded. "As I said," he turned to smile apologetically at Alice, "it's only a theory…"

"But it does makes sense," Alice admitted, her head still resting against Esme's shoulder. "That doesn't mean I like it any better, but at least I have a better idea why I can't see them."

"I wish I had a better answer for you than that. I know it's frustrating."

"It is," she agreed, smiling sadly, "but I'll get over it. And hopefully it's only temporary."

"Let's hope," Edward said, standing up and stooping over Alice to kiss her on the forehead. "We don't want to be dealing with the smelly dogs any longer than we have to."

Alice giggled at that. "No, definitely not."

"All right then," Edward said, "I should get going. I don't want to leave Bella alone any longer than necessary. See you in the morning," he told Alice, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

She slapped his hand away before he could touch her. "Don't even think about it." Her eyes narrowed threateningly, but there was a teasing light there behind the warning.

He chuckled at her reaction, and, with a wave to the rest of us, Edward slipped back out soon after that, leaving us to settle in for the night to occupy ourselves. I took a moment to assess the emotional climate now as opposed to even a few hours ago, and it was a little amazing to me the change. We were all decidedly more hopeful now after regrouping. The frustration from before was still there to a degree, but we all knew this was only a temporary setback, and we'd certainly experienced plenty of those before.

We knew we'd have another chance, and we knew we'd take it. And, come what may, we were all assured that we'd come out on top in the end.

We always did.

* * *

There you have it… I doubt it was worth the month-long wait, but hopefully you enjoyed it nonetheless. :)

Okay, I'm well aware that the conversation about Alice's sight and the wolves would have had to happen before this point, but I'm gonna ask for a little grace here. I felt like it needed to be included in the story, so I took a little leeway with the timeline. Hopefully it wasn't _too_ obviously late for it!

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting thus far. Your sweet reviews always give me such a boost. It never fails to amaze me how many awesome people I have at my back. You're all amazing, and I appreciate every single one of you! (And that definitely includes all of you anonymous reviewers! It drives me nuts that I can't thank you individually, so I'll do it here… _thank you_! :)

Please don't forget to take a second and leave me some love! *whispers* It makes me write faster. ;)

Hugs,

Nik


	4. Chapter 4

Epic AN down below, so I'll skip it here… Just a great big thank you and super warm, squishy hugs to my girls beckaboowriter (who was lovely enough to preread this chapter for me!), LittlePixieCullen88, and koko23cat. You know I'd be lost without you. xoxox

I don't think I have to say it, but I will anyway – all characters, themes, and any and all recognizable dialogue belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Alice**

.

When Monday morning came, I kissed Jasper good-bye just as I did every day and headed off to school. Even this close to the end of the year, it still seemed rather odd to me as I drove off by myself. With Jasper, Rose, and Emmett "in college" and Edward chauffeuring Bella, that left me to myself. It wasn't that I minded it particularly, it was just strange.

I was about a quarter of a mile away from the school grounds when Edward and Bella abruptly disappeared from my sight.

"Dammit," I swore under my breath. Every single time this happened it infuriated me, even when I knew to expect it. "Stupid dogs," I muttered.

I knew Jacob Black had wanted to talk to Edward this morning, and I assumed that was why they'd vanished just now, but still the anger itched under my skin. The intense, irrational aggression that any contact with, or even any thought of, the werewolves provoked bubbled quickly to the surface. I had to fight back a snarl of anger.

I parked the car and hovered in the back of the parking lot. I could see the three of them on the other side, and I assumed it would be better for me to stay out of sight, more or less. It wouldn't do any good to make the mutt even more defensive by joining them. And it wasn't exactly like Edward needed my help.

But when I heard what was being said, I had the sudden urge to bang my head up against the brick wall behind me.

I had told Edward that his secrecy would come back to bite him later… but he hadn't listened.

Apparently this was the "later" I had warned him about.

"No one fought," I heard Edward reassuring Bella in a calm, even voice. "No one got hurt. Don't be anxious."

"You didn't tell her anything at all, did you?" Jacob asked in his low, gravelly voice. "Is that why you took her away? So she wouldn't know that – ?"

"Leave now," Edward cut him off. I could see the corner of my brother's lip curl up in a snarl, his tone quiet and menacing. The glare he shot towards Jacob was one of vicious, unveiled loathing. I'd only seen him look this frightening a handful of times in all the years I'd known him.

"Why haven't you told her?" Jacob persisted, not seeming fazed by Edward's glare.

At the moment, I would dearly have loved to slap the cocky smirk right off his face. He knew what he was doing – trying to cause friction between my brother and Bella. There was no reason for him to keep pushing the issue except to cause trouble.

From across the lot, I watched Bella's face as she put all the pieces together. Her eyes went blank and unfocused, her mouth gaping open as she suddenly started gasping for air, hyperventilating in her fear.

"She came back for me," she mouthed soundlessly, too terrified to find her voice.

Edward held her in his arms, angling himself between her and Jacob. He made little shushing sounds to try to calm her. "It's fine," he chanted to her. "It's fine. I'll never let her get close to you. It's fine."

His words had no effect on her. Her body trembled violently, her teeth chattering as she panted for air.

If possible, Edward's face was even more fearsome when he turned back to Jacob – who was still smirking at him. "Does that answer your question, mongrel?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"You don't think Bella has a right to know?" he pressed, crossing his arms over his puffed out chest.

"Why should she be frightened if she was never in danger?"

"Better frightened than lied to," Jacob shot back.

Edward clenched his jaw shut, and I knew he was fighting back a scathing response. It would do no good to fight with the dog… not here… not now. There were too many people gathering around as the students took notice of their confrontation. This was far more interesting to them than the prospect of their boring Monday morning classes. Edward and Jacob were drawing too much attention to themselves. And that was never a good thing for us.

Instead, he turned to Bella, wiping away the tracks of silent tears on her cheeks. "Do you really think hurting her is better than protecting her?" His voice was quiet, his eyes full of loving concern as he took in Bella's blank expression.

"She's tougher than you think," Jacob insisted belligerently. "And she's been through worse."

There was silence for a long drawn out moment as Edward's face twisted in pain at whatever was in Jacob's thoughts. Jacob laughed at his haunted expression. And it took everything I had not to fly across the parking lot and smash his sneering face right into the asphalt for taking pleasure in deliberately hurting my brother. I was shaking with rage.

The tension in Edward's body was finally enough to distract Bella from her fear, and she looked back and forth between them curiously. "What are you doing to him?" she demanded, angry now, turning to Jacob.

"It's nothing, Bella," Edward tried to soothe her. "Jacob just has a good memory, that's all."

Jacob grinned cruelly and Edward winced again.

"Stop it! Whatever you're doing," Bella snapped at Jacob.

"Sure, if you want," he shrugged as if it was of no consequence. "It's his own fault if he doesn't like the things I remember, though."

My whole body was vibrating in anger, my fists clenched tightly at my sides. I'd been afraid Edward's attempt to shield Bella would eventually blow up in his face. I knew his motives were pure and he'd never do anything to intentionally hurt her, but I still didn't think that made it right to lie.

At the moment, I was torn between wanting to rip the stupid, hateful dog to shreds for taking pleasure in Edward's pain and shaking my idiot brother until his teeth rattled for not listening to us when we'd cautioned him to be careful about this in the first place.

This scene could have been avoided in large part if he'd just been honest with her from the start. But, then again, seeing Bella shaking and scared, I could understand how he wouldn't want to be the one to tell her and cause her fear. His need to protect her outweighed anything else.

Just then, around the blind spots in my vision, I could see Principal Greene catching sight of the crowd gathered outside and coming to break it up.

_Edward_, I called for him silently, alerting him just in case he hadn't heard. His eyes darted in my direction for a fraction of an instant, just long enough to let me know he was aware.

"The principal is on his way to discourage loitering on school property," Edward murmured close to Bella's ear. "Let's get going, Bella, so you're not involved." She nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Overprotective, isn't he?" I heard Jacob ask as I turned to slip into the school building. "A little trouble makes life fun. Let me guess," he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "you're not allowed to have fun, are you?"

I whipped my head back around to see that my glower was matched by the one on Edward's face.

"Shut up, Jake," Bella snapped, saying what we were all thinking… an edited version at least.

His insolent laugh raked up my spine as I turned back around again. I tried my best to ignore anything else that was said as I retrieved my books from my locker and made my way down the hall to my first class. Moments later, Edward and Bella both flickered back into my sight as they took their places in their English class. I knew Edward had a good bit of explaining to do… and probably some groveling, too.

When lunchtime came, I was already at the table by myself when the two of them walked up with their trays.

"Don't even say it," Edward murmured in a voice far too low for human ears to hear.

_Do I need to?_

He just scowled.

_I tried to warn you._

"I know, I know," he grumbled, "but I wouldn't listen. You saw her face, Alice. You saw how upset it made her. Can you really blame me for wanting to save her from that?"

_No, but still…_

He lowered his eyes to his tray, picking at the stem of his apple. He tried to mask it, but I knew him too well not to see the hurt that lingered in his eyes.

_Are you okay?_ I nudged his knee with mine under the table.

"Yeah," he said, a little unconvincingly, "I'm fine."

_You know I'm on your side, right? No matter how many stupid things you do._

He bit back a chuckle just as I'd hoped he would at the teasing tone of my thoughts. "I know. And thanks. You're not so bad… for a pesky little sister."

I crossed my eyes at him, making a face. Bella was picking at the food on her plate, nibbling on tiny bites, totally oblivious to our exchange. She barely said two words during the whole hour, slipping silently from her seat when it was time to go back to class. It was obvious she was still worrying about Victoria.

When classes were over for the afternoon, I found Edward and Bella in the hallway. Bella finally looked at me, glancing between me and Edward.

"I want to go to your house this afternoon," she informed Edward. There was no room for discussion in her tone.

"Of course," he agreed… not that he had much choice.

"And I'm riding with Alice," she said, obviously still a little peeved at him.

"If that's what you want," he replied with a quiet sigh.

She slid into the passenger seat and buckled up. No sooner had I cranked the engine than she reached for the dial to turn on the radio, a clear sign that she didn't want to talk. Aside from the music playing from the speakers, the ride back to the house was a silent one.

Edward was right behind us when we pulled into the driveway. Bella didn't wait for either of us before she jumped out of the car and went inside. Carlisle and Esme were already in the living room and everyone else trickled in almost immediately at the unusual commotion.

My eyes were immediately drawn to Jasper when he treaded almost soundlessly down the stairs. His eyebrows were drawn together as he took in the emotions running rampant – most notably from Bella. Even I could feel the tension crackling in the room. He tucked me under his arm, pressing a quick kiss to the top of my head when I slipped to his side, wrapping my arms around his waist.

Carlisle glanced, somewhat confused, between the three of us before stopping at Bella. "Bella, is everything all right?" he asked, his face creased in concern.

"I want you to change me," Bella blurted out. "Now. I don't want to wait."

Carlisle's eyes darted up to Edward's in surprise. "She knows," Edward told him quietly. "Jacob told her this morning." It was impossible to miss the trace of bitterness that seeped into his tone.

"_You_ should have been the one to tell me," Bella pointed her finger at him. "Don't you think I needed to know that she had come back for me?"

"You were never in any danger," Edward assured her. "I'm sorry that I upset you, but I was trying to protect you. I never meant to deceive you, and I never wanted to hurt you."

"Bella," Carlisle interjected calmly, "Edward's right. You're in no danger from her. There are seven of us. And with Alice on our side, I don't think Victoria is going to catch us off guard. There are only a few weeks before graduation, and I think it's important, for Charlie's sake, that we stick with the original plan."

"But it's not safe," Bella persisted with a note of panic in her voice. "You can't guard me twenty-four hours a day, and, with my luck, something is _going_ to happen. Between Victoria and the Volturi, leaving me like this is just begging for trouble. I'm a walking danger magnet, you all know that. Someone like me shouldn't _be_ human!"

Emmett guffawed and patted Bella on the back, ignoring her glare. "I'm really glad Edward didn't kill you. Everything's so much more fun with you around," he grinned, impervious to the matching glare that Rosalie was shooting at his back.

"Thanks so much," Bella said drily, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously, though, quit worrying," he nudged her shoulder. "We've got your back. Nothing's gonna happen."

Esme stepped forward to wrap Bella up tightly in a motherly embrace. "My son may be an insensitive lout at times," she said, shooting a dirty look at Emmett for laughing at Bella when she was so obviously upset. "But he does have a point. We won't let anything happen to you, sweetheart. You know that. Please don't be anxious."

"I'm offended," I pouted, addressing Bella when Esme released her, "you're not honestly _worried_ about this, are you?"

"If it's no big deal, then why did Edward drag me to Florida?" she demanded.

I rolled my eyes. "Haven't you noticed, Bella, that Edward is just the teensiest bit prone to overreaction? Especially where you are concerned?"

"Still…" she began.

I gave Jasper a meaningful glance, seeing as she wasn't going to be persuaded otherwise, and he released a wave of tranquility throughout the room, calming her frazzled nerves. With his help, we were able to talk her down from making this decision hastily, reassuring her that there was no reason for her to be afraid. She was much too important to Edward, and therefore to all of us, to risk losing. We wanted what was best for her, and rushing into her change just because she was afraid wasn't a path we needed to go down.

It took some time, but she eventually calmed down and agreed with our logic. She agreed to wait, just as we'd planned.

"I'm sorry," she said as Esme walked her to the door, her arm draped around her.

"Whatever for?" Esme asked, confused.

"For running in here like I did and making a scene." Bella ducked her head, a blush spreading over her cheeks.

"Nonsense," Esme squeezed her shoulders gently. "You were upset. We're always here for you, Bella. You know that."

"Try not to worry," Carlisle smiled at her, cupping her cheek in his hand. "You will be safe."

Jasper nodded, speaking for the first time that afternoon. "She won't get past us, Bella. That's a promise."

Bella nodded, smiling sheepishly at him.

"Do you feel better now?" Esme asked her.

"I do. Thanks."

"Good." Esme brushed Bella's hair from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear.

That was the end of the conversation - for that afternoon at least. But I knew the issue still weighed heavily on Bella's mind. She knew, just as well as the rest of us, that waiting was still the option that was better for everyone in the long run – her human family and friends especially. And I had a suspicion that her desire for Edward to be the one to change her would play a part in things as well.

She wanted it to be Edward rather than Carlisle who brought about her transformation. And Edward had agreed to do so… provided she was married to him first.

Even I couldn't see yet how that stand-off would end. They were both too stubborn to give in as yet. But I had a feeling the road to that particular resolution would be very, very interesting.

* * *

**Jasper**

.

Alice had foreseen that the weekend would be uneventful – the perfect time for us to go hunting. It had been well over two weeks since Edward had fed, and Bella had been adamant that he go with us. Albeit reluctantly, he had agreed to go.

"Last one to the reserve has to eat field mice!" Emmett shouted when the three of us gathered in front of the house. He raced off into the woods, leaving us in his dust.

As Emmett disappeared through the trees, Edward's eyes, darkened with challenge, shot to mine. "He never learns, does he?"

I just laughed as the two of us darted after him. Edward caught up to Emmett in a matter of minutes and then passed him altogether shortly after that. I wasn't far behind him. Emmett was without a doubt the strongest of the three of us, but he was also the slowest. Not by much, but enough that Edward and I were able to pass him without much difficulty.

We all dealt with our own issues when it came to our immortality, but the one thing we all agreed on was that we loved the speed. There was something very freeing about racing through the trees, feeling the earth flying beneath your feet, the wind rushing through your hair.

It almost felt sometimes that if you just ran fast enough, you could leave everything else behind. It was liberating.

When we reached our destination, Edward and I slowed down, letting Emmett charge on ahead. We knew exactly where he was going. He had a single-minded focus anytime we went hunting big game. Nothing else would do for him except a grizzly bear – the more riled up he could make it, the happier he was. It was a game that never got old for him.

I wasn't at all surprised to see that, when I glanced back, Edward's focus was turned in the direction we'd just come from. The wistfulness in his emotions was a tell-tale indicator where his thoughts were.

"She's fine," I reassured him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Stop worrying. Alice is watching out for her, and you'll be with her again soon."

"I know," he sighed. "It's not even that so much…"

"What is it then?"

Edward sighed dejectedly, kicking at a pebble that was lying at his feet. "She tries to hide it, but I can see how difficult it is for her when I leave. I think… I think, when I'm not with her, she still has trouble believing that I'm coming back." His voice was low, his expression pained.

"She told you that?" I asked, surprised. It wasn't like Bella at all to lay any kind of guilt trip on Edward.

"Of course not," Edward shook his head. "You're right, she'd never do that. She's tried to protect me from knowing how bad she was hurt when…"

I nodded when his voice broke off, as he visibly struggled for words. He didn't have to say it. I knew all too well what he meant.

"But I've seen it," he whispered huskily, "in Charlie's thoughts… and in Jacob's. He took great pleasure in showing me just how bad off she was. I hate doing anything to remind her of that."

"But you can't keep ignoring your own needs, Edward. Refusing to take care of yourself is only going to make things much harder on you than they have to be. Our bodies aren't meant to go as long between feedings as you've been trying to hold out."

"I know that," he conceded, "even Bella knows that. That's why she's been kicking me out when you and Emmett want to go. She can try to hide it all she wants, but I can see in her eyes how much it hurts. And it very nearly kills me inside to know that _I_ did that to her.

"Jasper, there are a lot of things in my life that I regret, but leaving her like I did… that's something I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself for."

Just then, we heard a loud whoop from about a hundred yards away followed by growls and snarls as Emmett found his prey. Despite the heaviness of the atmosphere around us, Edward and I both had to smile at the sound.

"You know," I told him, gesturing towards Emmett's direction, "there are times when I think you and I could learn something from that one."

"Such as?" Edward asked, a smile still tilting his lips on one side.

"Everything he does is backed by a reckless abandon. He lives hard, he loves fiercely. He looks at the world with a simplicity that I envy sometimes. He doesn't live with regrets because he doesn't think in terms of 'what ifs' or 'what could be.' He lives entirely in the moment he's in." I looked back to Edward. "Do you know how much simpler our lives would be if we could learn to do that?"

"I know," Edward said, smiling wryly. "It's too bad neither of us have a personality that will allow for that."

I just grunted in response. He was right… no matter how much healthier that mindset would be, neither one of us was wired that way.

"Come on," I said, abandoning the topic and clapping him on the shoulder again. "Let's hunt."

The sounds of Emmett playing with his food continued on as Edward and I fanned out to hunt. I had just caught a whiff of a scent that made the venom pool in my mouth, and I loped through the trees in pursuit. It wasn't human blood, but the wet pulsing sound promised relief for the fires that had raged to life in my throat.

In the distance, I heard the pealing sound of Edward's cell phone. The sound barely registered through my bloodlust until I heard the one voice on the other end that could pull me from my focus.

The lure of blood in the distance… the flaming of my throat… the pursuit of my prey… it was all immediately forgotten as I heard the sound of Alice's voice filled with panic.

Abandoning my hunt, I turned and ran the other way, back toward Edward. He had the phone pressed to his ear when I reached him, terror deeply etched on his face.

"Alice, what's going on?" his voice shook.

"It's Bella!" she shouted through the phone, her tone pitching high in her fear. "She disappeared, Edward. I can't see her!"

I saw in Edward's eyes as a thousand possible scenarios raced through his mind… each one more terrible than the last.

"I'm on my way," he said, spinning on his heel and racing back towards Forks before the words had even left his mouth.

"Emmett, come on!" I yelled, not even waiting to see if he was behind me as I ran after Edward.

I could still hear Alice's hysterical voice ringing in my ears. Even if she wasn't the one in danger, I needed to be there with her.

The return trip seemed to take twice as long, frantic as we were to get home. Alice was sitting on the staircase when we finally tore through the front door. Her head was buried in her hands as she rocked back and forth, looking small and lost.

"What happened?" Edward demanded in a panic, his eyes wild.

Alice didn't even look up. Her distress wrapped around me like icy tentacles, gripping my heart.

"I don't know!" she wailed into her hands. "Bella was supposed to work this morning, but when she got there, Mrs. Newton said they didn't need her. The last thing I saw, Bella was running to her truck. She was holding a bundle of flyers about 'save the wolf' or something of that sort. And then she just vanished."

Edward swore under his breath. It looked like it took everything in him not to run his fist through the wall. It didn't take much to figure out where Bella had gone. She was in La Push. Over the treaty line. And Edward couldn't get to her.

"That was more than an hour ago," he hissed through clenched teeth, "you haven't seen anything since then?"

"No! Nothing!" Alice finally looked up, misery weighing heavily in her eyes.

Edward ran his hands agitatedly through his hair. His emotions were a raging turmoil – fear, anxiety, and utter helplessness. His hands were tied. There was nothing he could do… and he knew it.

Carlisle and Esme, sitting together on the couch, eyed him with faces drawn tight in apprehension. Rose and Emmett lingered at the outskirts of the room. The collective tension in the room was palpable. The only thing any of us could do was simply wait.

I crossed the room to sit beside Alice, pulling her trembling form into my arms. Her eyes were vacant and expressionless as she waited, fighting to be able to see something… _anything_.

As the minutes ticked slowly by, I nudged her head down to rest on my lap. When she complied, I ran my fingers slowly, soothingly, through her hair, massaging her temples and trying to take the edge off of her panic.

Alice curled up into a tiny ball, small tremors still shaking her body. "It's not your fault," I whispered, curving my body over hers as I felt the guilt begin creeping into her emotions. "This isn't your fault." She didn't seem to hear. The guilt that mingled with her fear didn't abate in the slightest.

She felt she should have been able to see this coming and done something to stop it. She felt like a failure. And I hated it.

Two full hours had passed and Alice still had seen nothing. Edward's face hardened even further as he paced restlessly back and forth across the room. Finally, something inside him seemed to snap.

Alice gasped, shooting up into a sitting position as he darted past us on the other side of the staircase. He had his keys in his hand when he raced back down.

"No, Edward," Alice said, shaking her head adamantly, "you can't!"

"I have to," he said, not meeting her eyes.

"Edward, what are you doing?" Carlisle asked… even though we all knew.

"I can't just sit here and wait anymore. She might be hurt, anything could have happened to her. I have to do something."

"Edward, you can't cross the treaty line," Alice protested.

"Watch me."

"Edward, you don't know that Bella is in danger," Carlisle tried reasoning with him.

"She's in the company of a werewolf… a _young_ werewolf," Edward protested vehemently, not calmed in the slightest by Carlisle's even, composed voice. "You call that safe? Do you honestly expect me to sit on my hands and do nothing?"

"I expect you to handle this calmly and rationally," Carlisle told him, the barest hint of steel backing his words. "I expect you to think through the consequences of what you're planning to do. Do you know what will happen if you cross the line?"

"I don't care," Edward fairly shouted. "I have to get to Bella."

"So you'll break the treaty and start a war… and put her right in the middle of it? You'll risk getting her killed, and endanger your entire family, just to satisfy in your own mind that she's safe? Edward, that's foolish. And I can't let you do it."

Esme rose from the couch and put her hands over Edward's crossed arms. "Think, Edward," she pleaded with him. "You don't know that she's hurt now, but she _will_ be if you try to go to her. You increase any danger she might be in a thousandfold. Going out there would be the worst possible thing you could do. It won't help her, Edward."

"Edward, don't… please don't," Alice whimpered beside me, her voice barely audible. "_I can't see you_."

Edward's face contorted in pained indecision. I understood that desperate need to ensure the safety of the one you loved. I understood the urgency that made one throw caution to the wind when there was even the slightest doubt of it. But he knew as well as I did that charging out to La Push would not be a solution… it would be an invitation for disaster.

Conceding defeat, Edward groaned from deep within and ran his hands through his already disheveled hair, tugging roughly at the strands. Reluctantly, he let Esme guide him over to the couch. He slumped down beside her grudgingly, resigned to the fact that there really wasn't anything at all that he could do. Only wait.

And wait he did until finally, _finally_, Alice sagged against me, relief making her body go limp. Bella was safe, flickering back into her sight.

Instantaneously, Edward shot up from the couch and shot out the door. The Volvo's engine revved seconds later.

"She's fine," Alice said breathlessly, though we'd all guessed as much from her reaction. "She just left the reservation; she's on her way to Angela's house."

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. The crisis was averted… for now. But considering Bella's obsession with her werewolf friend, we could only assume that this would more than likely happen again… unless Edward could somehow find a way to convince her otherwise.

The others gradually dispersed after that, and Alice crawled into my lap after they were gone, wrapping her arms around my neck as the tension slowly eased from her muscles. Laying my cheek against her hair, I swayed slowly, rocking her in my arms. After several moments, she pressed a tender kiss to my collarbone.

"You didn't get to hunt today," she said, nuzzling in a little closer.

"I'm fine. I'll go another time." Now that I had her in my arms, I wasn't even remotely interested in leaving again. I could wait.

She hummed against my skin and kissed my jaw. "It's been almost two weeks. Aren't you hurting?"

"It's manageable."

She pulled back just enough to look at me, cocking one eyebrow as she threaded her fingers through my hair. "The dark circles under your eyes say differently."

"Tell you what," I said, leaning my forehead against hers, "I'll make a deal with you. I'll go… if you go with me."

She giggled lightly and traced one finger down my jaw. "We _might_ be able to arrange that. I'd have a hard time turning down such an offer."

I chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. "All right then. I'm ready if you are, darlin."

"For you, I'm always ready," she teased, a smile playing at her lips. Reluctantly, she loosened her arms from around me and stood. She held out her hand, and I took it, pressing a fleeting kiss to her knuckles.

Lacing my fingers with hers, I set out to hunt for the second time that day. Much as I enjoyed spending time with my brothers, I certainly wasn't going to complain about how things had turned out. With Alice dancing along at my side, my day had taken a welcome turn for the better.

* * *

.

*deep breath* You ready for this?

First, I wanted to clear up quickly, I didn't come up with Carlisle's theory in the last chapter about why Alice can't see the wolves. Edward actually mentioned it to Bella on pg 63 of Eclipse. I wish I was clever enough to have come up with it though!

Second, I know a lot of you have been wondering where I (and this chapter!) have been. Two reasons for the delay… one is the short story that quite a few of you have already read. No Greater Love is a WWII story based in Austria. It owned me from the writing of the first to the very last word. If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check it out. The link is, of course, on my profile page.

And lastly, for those of you who have been on my Twitter recently, you know that I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues as well and, along with that, a fair amount of depression. Long story short, I've been writing fan fiction since the spring of 2009, and lately, two years and eight stories later, I've found myself running out of steam. I had to take some time in the last few weeks to reevaluate whether or not it was worth it to me to continue writing.

My conclusion? It's not fair to any of you – or to myself – to leave this story unfinished. I've invested too much already to call it quits now. The very first story I posted I was unable to finish and I swore I'd never do that again. I owe it to myself and to you to see this story to its conclusion if at all possible. What happens after that remains to be seen, I suppose.

I've gotten quite a few wonderful and encouraging reviews lately from those of you who have seen some of my tweets. Please, please keep those coming. You all provide me with an amazing support system, and I need that now more than ever. Even if you're not a regular reviewer, please take just a moment and let me know that you're reading. Never, ever doubt the value of a few well placed words of encouragement!

And lastly (I promise!) due to a glitch on ffn's part, I'm not getting email notifications about reviews and/or updates. So if you've reviewed and I haven't responded, that's why! I'm trying to keep up, but I'm sure I've missed responding to some… and I hate that.

Many thanks to all of you for being patient with me. Xoxox

Nik


	5. Chapter 5

Once again, I apologize for the delay. I'll spare you the excuses. But many thanks to those of you who are sticking with me. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of you and your continued support. :)

As always, koko23cat, LittlePixieCullen88, and beckaboowriter… thanks a million times over for always being there for me. I'm not kidding when I say I don't know what I'd do without you.

All usual disclaimers apply… I don't own anything. I just can't get these characters out of my head.

Enjoy! 

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Jasper**

.

Alice's fingernails raked lightly over my scalp, her fingers sifting through my hair as I lay with my head resting on her lap. We'd hunted that afternoon until our appetites had been sated and then returned to the house. We were curled together on the couch now, the television droning quietly in the background. But I wasn't paying it any attention.

Between the effects of the fresh blood that coursed through my body, which left behind a temporary stream of warmth, and Alice, I was utterly relaxed and content... in a state the closest my body could ever come to sleep.

Alice's fingers kept up a continual, gentle massage on my scalp. Her breathing was steady and quiet. And her own inner contentment which seeped into my flesh compounded with mine, leaving me as relaxed as it was possible for me to be.

The fingers of her left hand were woven between mine. Laying on my chest, our interlaced hands rose and fell with my every breath.

I stirred only minimally when I heard the purr of the Volvo pulling into the driveway. I could feel remnants of Edward's earlier distress as the garage door closed behind him. He treaded quietly into the living room a moment later and sat on the chair opposite us. He was pensive now and troubled, seemingly deep in thought.

I had to admit I was curious about what had been said when he confronted Bella this afternoon… we all were. But Alice was the only one privy to that conversation, and she respected their privacy too much to tell the rest of us. She couldn't exactly help seeing, but that didn't mean she was going to share it unnecessarily.

A wild burst of excitement from Alice just then sent a surge of adrenaline straight to my heart. Startled at the sudden intensity, I shot up into a sitting position, eyeing her with a great deal of curiosity. She squealed, her eyes wide as she looked at Edward, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

"Really?" she gasped. "I was only teasing before when I said I didn't want to wait until Christmas. I wasn't expecting you to get it for me right now."

"I know," Edward shrugged, grinning playfully. "But is there really any reason to make you wait? I kind of owe you anyway."

Alice clapped her hands gleefully, bounding off the couch to press a loud, smacking kiss to his cheek. He returned her hug, obviously pleased that she was so happy. I watched their interaction, intrigued and very curious. I couldn't quite figure out what they were talking about.

"It's yellow," she gushed. "And it looks _exactly_ like the other one!"

"It's yellow," Edward affirmed, chuckling at her reaction. "And fast. And loud. Which means it probably won't be wise for you to drive it around Forks."

Alice shrugged. "I know. But it doesn't matter, I'm still getting my Porsche!"

"Yes," he said, ruffling her hair before his face turned serious. "But, Alice, I need your help with something."

Alice's expression went from elated to pensive all at once as she saw where he was taking the conversation. "Yes, I'd already thought of that."

"I can't put it off much longer. I have to hunt. But I know as soon as I leave again, she'll go running right back to LaPush. Something happened to her while she was there, Alice, at one time or another. She won't tell me what it was, but she slipped just long enough to let me know that even she knew she was in danger."

Alice opened her mouth to speak, but Edward cut her off. "Even still, she refuses to see how dangerous it is for her to be out there, and I can't take the risk with her life. If she won't help me protect her, then I'm going to have to come up with something else. That's where I need your help."

Alice nodded. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

"I think it would be safest to have her stay here while I'm gone."

Alice's eyes lit up brightly with excitement. "We can have a sleepover!"

"Yes, exactly," Edward said, relief on his face that she'd caught on so quickly. "We'll need Esme to call Charlie and arrange for it with him..."

"But he'll agree to it," Alice said with assurance. And she would know. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun," she gushed, clapping her hands together again. "We can stay up late and watch movies, and we can get her favorite dinner..."

I looked back and forth between the two of them, admittedly a little dumbfounded at the conversation I was witnessing. Deciding I'd heard more than enough already, I got up and went upstairs, shaking my head along the way.

"There's one more thing I need your help with," I heard Edward say as I shut the door to my study.

"I have the perfect one in mind already," Alice responded with a smile in her voice.

For the next hour or so, I stayed locked away in my room, studiously ignoring the plotting and planning going on downstairs. I spent the time thumbing through various books that lined the floor-to-ceiling shelves, but I wasn't really comprehending any of the words that I was seeing. None of the information I was looking at penetrated my mind. I was still thinking about what Edward had asked of Alice.

I had to admit, I was a little irritated with him this time. I knew without a shadow of doubt that his intentions were good, but I couldn't help my aggravation at the route he was choosing to go and how he'd presented this to Alice.

Since Alice had no memories whatsoever of her life before her transformation, she lived some of those lost human experiences vicariously through Bella… whether it was dolling her up for prom or now this sleepover. A sleepover that Bella was as yet unaware of and would most likely be furious about.

He was placing Alice in a position that had the potential to end badly.

A little while later, I heard the soft pad of Alice's footsteps outside my doorway. She pushed open the door, peeking her head around.

She didn't say anything at first, watching me for a moment. I heard the soft sound of her sigh then. "You don't approve," Alice said with no preamble, crossing the room to stand behind me.

I turned around to face her questioning gaze. "Darlin, I learned a long time ago not to stick my nose in places it doesn't belong. This is none of my business."

Alice obviously wasn't placated by my non-answer. Not at all. "It's not like we're plotting something sinister," she protested. "We're trying to protect her. She refuses to see how dangerous it could be for her to be around the wolves. I can't see her. Anything could happen, and we wouldn't be able to get to her.

"Jasper, you know what it did to Edward before when she was hurt. We can't risk something like that again. It nearly broke us all apart before… who knows what would happen this time."

I smiled, though a bit humorlessly, and bent down to kiss her forehead. "You don't have to justify anything to me, Alice. I didn't say a word."

The next few days saw the arrival of two very conspicuous deliveries made to our house.

The first came on Monday. It was a bed. An enormous wrought iron bed with intricate roses detailed on it and plush gold bedding.

The bed went in Edward's room. His had been the only room in all of our houses that had never showcased a bed before. He'd never had need of one... not until now.

Emmett gave him hell about it. Edward ignored him.

The second delivery came on Wednesday. But this one went no further than the garage.

Alice's ear-splitting shriek of delight was the first sign of its arrival.

I went down a little later to find her in the garage, her hand lovingly caressing the bright yellow frame of her new favorite toy.

"Look, Jazz," she glanced up just long enough to make eye-contact with me before her enamored gaze went right back to the sleek exterior of her Porsche. "Isn't it beautiful?"

It really was. Even though I didn't necessarily share the same fascination with cars that the rest of my family had, I still had to admit that it was a pretty spectacular vehicle... even if it was such a blindingly bright yellow.

It had a sleek, powerful design on the outside, and I could smell the plush leather of the black interior. It was eye-catching and luxurious.

"It's very nice," I admitted, running my hand experimentally over the hood. "But it's certainly going to be conspicuous here. You're going to have to be careful with it."

"I know, I know," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "No driving it around Forks." But her irritation quickly faded to be replaced again by a child-like excitement. She was like a kid at Christmas with her shiny new toy. "But that just gives us a very good reason for a road-trip soon. How fast do you think we can get cross-country in this?"

I laughed, but I knew she wasn't really joking. I had little doubt that we'd be making just such a trip sometime in the very near future.

"I don't care if I am virtually indestructible, your driving scares me, woman," I teased.

Her silvery laugh filled the garage, and I reveled in the sound. "You love me and my driving, and you know it," she quipped back, her eyes glinting playfully.

"I love you, I endure your driving."

"Jasper," her voice took on a whine, completely offset by the smile that lingered in her eyes, "play nice and let me enjoy my moment. I've been waiting a long time for this."

"I know you have." I bent down, cupping her face in my hands and nuzzling my nose against hers playfully. "I'll leave you alone to get acquainted with your new friend." I turned around just before I walked in the door and looked back at her. She was already absorbed with her flashy new toy again.

"Just don't have _too_ much fun without me."

Alice just giggled, sticking out her tiny, pointed tongue at me. "Never."

With a parting wink, I went back inside.

Once again, Alice saw that the coming weekend was going to be uneventful – a perfect opportunity to make up for our missed hunting trip from the weekend before.

Though everyone else seemed to share my reservations about the ill-fated sleepover, no one said anything to try to change Edward's mind. We all knew it wouldn't do any good.

Just as Alice had predicted, Charlie agreed to let Bella have a girls' weekend with Alice when Esme called him. Just that easily, everything was arranged. Alice would pick Bella up after she got off work Thursday evening and she'd stay here until we got back on Saturday.

Emmett, Edward, Carlisle, and I left Thursday afternoon around one o'clock.

"Hey, Edward, could I see your phone for a minute?" I asked when we were about five miles from the house, keeping my thoughts carefully concealed. Edward eyed me warily, obviously not entirely trusting my intentions, but having no real reason not to.

"Okay," he said haltingly, reaching into his pocket and handing me his phone.

As soon as it was in my hand, I tossed it into Carlisle's waiting grasp. He turned the power off and pocketed it, smiling conspiratorially at me.

"Confiscating my phone?" Edward asked drily. "Really? All of a sudden I'm feeling very much like a delinquent teenager."

"Edward, you're grounded," Emmett cackled. "Never thought I'd have the chance to say that. That was fun."

Edward just rolled his eyes.

"We saw how well it worked for you to have your phone on you last time," I told him. "You can't afford for that to happen again."

Carlisle nodded in agreement. "I have my phone on me, and Alice has instructions to call me if they need anything. I'll give yours back once I see that you've fed to _my_ satisfaction."

"All right," Edward conceded, not bothering to argue. "Let's get moving, then."

We'd allotted ourselves plenty of time to get to the reserve, so the four of us ran along at a companionable pace. It had been a long time since the four of us had hunted together like this. The conversation flowed easily as we loped along from Forks to northern California.

Once we got to the reserve, we split up, going to different corners to hunt. I knew Edward must be in heaven. We'd chosen this spot in the first place because they were having issues with their excessive mountain lion population. And they were more than plentiful, we found.

I took down four just by myself and had to stop. Having fed only the week before, I felt almost uncomfortably full. I made my way back to the clearing in the middle of the park that we'd designated as our meeting spot.

The sun was trying to peek through the cloud cover, and I leaned back against the grass, enjoying the warmth on my face as I waited for the others.

Edward was the first to join me a few minutes later. "You look awfully relaxed," he said, settling down beside me."

I cracked one eye open to look at him. "You look better," I observed in return.

He really did. The dark circles under his eyes were all but gone, the pitch black of his irises now a light, buttery gold. His skin was even lightly flushed now instead of the unnatural chalky pallor he'd had lately.

"Which is a tactful way of saying I looked pretty terrible before."

"You said it, not me," I chuckled under my breath.

"I feel better, at any rate," he admitted. "I didn't realize just how bad off I was."

"That's because you don't listen. You're stubborn," I pointed out, glancing at him out of the corner of one eye again.

"I think I've heard that one somewhere before," he said, rolling his eyes.

We fell into an easy silence then, watching the clouds drift over the sun.

"Edward, do you mind if we talk about something?" I asked without stopping to think first.

"All right," he said, wary again. "About what?"

I paused, choosing my words carefully. "I think it would be wise for you to take some time and think about how you're handling this situation with Bella."

Edward bristled, his posture turning stiff. "Meaning?" he asked, a definite chill creeping into his voice.

I sighed. "Edward, don't you think you went too far this time? For God's sake, you had Alice kidnap her and hold her hostage! Do you not see how that's crossing a line?"

Edward was shaking his head before I even finished speaking, but I could feel the slivers of doubt snaking in nonetheless. "I'm trying to keep her safe, Jasper. I can't risk anything happening to her. Not again."

"Edward, in what corner of the world would sleeping in a houseful of vampires be considered _safe_?" I asked incredulously.

"That's different," Edward said sullenly, not quite looking me in the eye.

"Is it?" I probed. "Edward, I know you mean well, but, think about it. She's not 'safe' with us either. Bella's taking a risk every time she sets foot in our house – she's completely defenseless with us. But that's a risk she's willing to take. Because she loves you. Because she loves our family."

"But she's more at risk there," he argued. "Alice can't see her, and we can't get to her if something goes wrong."

"Edward, that's an excuse – a very convenient excuse," I said bluntly, calling him out. "You're jealous of her relationship with her werewolf friend. You're insecure at her insistence to see him still. And you're letting your prejudice against the wolves color your judgment.

"And don't tell me I'm wrong," I said when he opened his mouth to object. "I feel everything you do. You can't lie to me about that."

Edward shifted uncomfortably. "Jasper, it's not the same. I know something happened to her there before. As volatile as they are... The risk when she's there..."

"Edward, listen to yourself," I demanded, sitting up and resting my arms on my knees, leaning towards him intently. "She had to have stitches after you threw her into a glass coffee table last year. _I_ nearly killed her over a paper cut. You're making excuses for yourself, but, when you examine them, they don't hold water."

His shoulders slumped forward in defeat. I felt terrible dredging up memories that were so painful for the both of us – the ramifications of our actions were something we would have to wrestle with for a very, very long time. But Edward needed a very swift reality check and that was the most direct way to do it.

"I know," he sighed dejectedly, picking up a blade of grass and toying absently with it as an awkward silence fell over the two of us.

Carlisle jogged up just then, diffusing a little of the tension in the air as he settled down on the grass beside us.

"Enjoy your hunt?" Edward asked him, his smile still a bit strained.

"I did. It was very nice," he said. But his eyes grew serious then. "Edward, I heard a little of what Jasper was saying just now. Difficult as I know it is for you to hear, I think he was making some very valid points that you should consider. Examine your motives.

"I know very well that you love Bella, and I know that her wellbeing is more important than anything else in the world to you. I would never question that – none of us would. But think about the position you're putting her in. You're forcing her into a choice, and she's going to end up getting hurt."

"And speaking of getting hurt," I said when Carlisle finished, "there's Alice to consider as well. You're putting her right in the middle of all of this. You know Bella's going to be angry, and Alice is the one in the crosshairs.

"You're pitting Alice's friendship with Bella against her loyalty to you. That's a very uncomfortable place to be. And it has the potential to strain those relationships."

"Not to mention you broke the cardinal rule for dealing with women," Emmett interjected, bounding over and plopping down beside us.

"And what might that be?" Edward asked, quirking one eyebrow.

"You told her what she _couldn't_ do. You don't ever tell a woman you won't let her do something. Not unless you want to majorly piss her off."

"He makes a good point," I agreed. "Just imagine, as easy-going and agreeable as Alice is, how she would react if I told her she couldn't do something she wanted to do. I'd be digging in the backyard looking for my head."

Emmett snickered. "That's not all you'd be missing," he said with a wicked grin.

I wasn't even going to grace that comment with a response. He was probably right, though.

"Think about it, what's your first reaction when someone tells you that you _can't_ do something. It doesn't matter if they have a good reason, your response is always going to be "watch me.' And then you go and do it anyway just to prove a point.

"Bella's not going to give up just because you tell her to. She's going to keep finding ways to see him, and she's going to end up getting hurt trying to sneak around. And, more than that, if you keep forcing her into being sneaky, she's eventually going to start resenting you for it. It's going to compromise your relationship, and make her feel like she has to hide things from you. I know that's not what you want."

"The bottom line, son," Carlisle interjected, "is that Bella is a responsible and intelligent young woman. For the sake of your relationship, you need to be willing to take a step back and let her make her own decisions. You say you trust her, now it's time to prove to her that you do," he said gently, placing his hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Here," he said, his eyes twinkling as he handed him back his phone. "I think it's probably safe for me to give this back now."

A wry smile twisted Edward's mouth as he turned his phone back on to see that he had a new message. A few seconds later, we could all hear Bella's quiet yet irate voice through the earpiece.

"You are in trouble." She sounded like she was forming each word through gritted teeth. "Enormous trouble. Angry grizzly bears are going to look tame next to what is waiting for you when you get home."

I covered my mouth with my hand in an effort to mask my amusement as the message abruptly ended. Even Carlisle was fighting a smile. Emmett didn't even bother to hide it. He threw back his head, his laugh booming through the trees.

"Only Bella," he gasped around paroxysms of laughter. "Only Bella would actually threaten a vampire and mean it. Just wait until she's changed, Edward. You're going to have your hands _full_."

"Come on," I said, clapping Edward on the back. "Let's go home."

It was about two in the morning when we crossed back over into Forks. And the sight waiting for us made my steps falter at first.

Alice was sitting on the front steps when we approached the house. Her head was lowered, arms clasped around her knees. She was worried and dejected, and even a little bit angry – and based on the heavy load of guilt that weighted her shoulders, it was an easy guess that she was mad at herself.

Immediately we knew something had happened while we were away. Considering she hadn't called Carlisle, it was a safe assumption that it wasn't anything horrible, but I felt a strong surge of fear course through Edward.

Alice got to her feet as we came closer, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. Edward hissed in a breath, his shoulders stiffening, his hands balling into fists.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," Alice whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "I was watching her, I really was. But I didn't think to factor _him_ in."

Anger flared in Edward's eyes, but he brought it back under control immediately. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Bella had found a way to get to LaPush again. She was nothing if not resourceful.

From upstairs, though, we could hear the steady thump of Bella's heart and the deep, even cadence of her breath in sleep. And I knew that went a long way to easing Edward's mind.

Even still, I shot a warning glance at Edward out of the corner of my eye as he fought to squelch his anger.

_Don't you dare say anything to make her more upset than she already is_. I warned silently.

Edward sighed, bringing himself back under control. "It's not your fault," he said quietly, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her. "I should never have asked you to do this in the first place. It was wrong of me to even put you in that position. Forgive me?"

Alice wasn't easily surprised – her foresight prevented that from being possible most of the time – but she was quite obviously flabbergasted now, looking at Edward slack-jawed.

I knew she would have braced herself for his wrath – and probably would have convinced herself by this point that she actually deserved it – so to have him be penitent instead of furious, asking for her forgiveness, it was obvious she didn't know what to think.

"Of course," she stammered.

"Thank you," he said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "Now, I guess I'd better get upstairs. Time to face the wrath that will put grizzlies to shame." His tone was teasing, but behind it, I could hear a sincere kind of worry. I knew he hated the idea of Bella being upset with him.

Carlisle and Emmett filed into the house behind him, leaving me alone with Alice on the porch. She stepped into the circle of my arms as soon as we were by ourselves, burrowing into my embrace.

"Hi," I said quietly, tipping her face back for a kiss.

"Hi, yourself," she murmured against my lips.

I was reluctant to release her after being separated, but unless we wanted to stay out on the porch all night, I didn't have much of a choice. As if her mind was working on the same wavelength, she slipped her hand into mine as soon as I unwound my arms from around her. We made our way through the quiet house up to our room, shutting the door behind us with a soft click.

A small part of my mind registered the quiet humming sounds of conversation from the other members of my family… Emmett and Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle… we were all paired up, spending time with our spouses after a day apart.

That wasn't anything unusual. We always tended to do that… needing, desiring, that reconnection after even a short separation.

But what I did notice as unprecedented was that, for the first time, _all_ of us were paired up. Edward as well this time. I could hear his voice mingling with Bella's from the third floor, her voice groggy and thick with sleep.

But it was only a very small part of my mind which catalogued that, and I quickly pushed it aside. I had something much more important to focus on.

I took Alice's hands in mine and guided them around my neck. Her fingers curled into my hair, drawing me even closer as I kissed the shell of her ear and the sensitive little hollow behind it. I feathered kisses over her temples and the tip of her nose before seeking out her lips again.

A quiet chuckle resonated in her chest. "Miss me?" she asked when I released her mouth long enough for her to speak.

My mouth was still busy, though, exploring the line of her jaw and the graceful length of her neck. "Just a little," I finally whispered into the hollow of her throat.

She giggled airily, arching her neck so that I could have better access to the satiny skin. "It was only a day."

I shook my head, my lips brushing over her collarbones with each back and forth motion of my head. "No, it wasn't… it was thirty-eight hours, forty-three minutes, and eighteen seconds."

Alice laughed, the silvery sound chiming right next to my ear. She knew very well that I was making that up… for the most part, at least. It _had_ been more than a day and a half.

"Oh really?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

I shrugged. "Either way, it was too damn long."

She giggled again, subtly nudging my lips back towards her throat. I was only too happy to oblige.

"Have fun on your hunt?" she asked, her voice growing thick and husky as my continued caresses stirred the flames of her desire.

"Mmhmm," I responded, flicking my tongue over the tendon in her neck. "How was your sleepover?"

Alice sighed. "It was all right. Bella wasn't exactly amused, though. It would have been fun if she'd actually let herself enjoy it."

I was listening to her, I really was. But it was awfully hard to concentrate on what she was saying when her mouth was just so _close, _her full, pink lips mesmerizing me with every word they formed.

"Rosalie actually talked to her tonight," Alice informed me suddenly, sounding a bit breathless herself. "Told Bella her story."

That little piece of information was almost enough to distract me… almost.

"Did she really?"

Alice nodded, her eyes glassy. "Uh-huh. Tried to make her understand why she thought it best for her to remain human."

I mulled over that for a minute. "Can't say I ever thought those two would have a heart-to-heart," I murmured, losing interest just that quickly. Instead, I turned my attention back to my lips' exploration of her neck.

"I know. I was here, I heard it all, and I still have a hard time believing it. It was a pretty lengthy conversation, too."

I hummed against the soft skin on the underside of her jaw, much too absorbed in what I was doing to pay attention to something as trivial as talking.

All I could think about was her lips, soft and full… her flawless skin that invited my hands to explore… and her sweet, intoxicating fragrance that I could gladly drown in.

"You're not even listening to me, are you?" she gasped out as my hands drifted down to her waist, my fingers curving into the dip above her hips.

I mumbled a chuckle into her neck, not even bothering to dispute it.

"You have such a one-track mind," she griped playfully. But her hands drew me closer, encouraging me to continue – making it very obvious that she wasn't truly upset.

I pulled back just enough to lay my forehead against hers, a wicked grin pulling at my lips as I looked deeply into the liquid gold of her eyes. "I'd rather think of it as a single-minded focus. All my attention and effort aimed at one particular goal. You don't usually complain about that, darlin."

A fine tremor shook her body then, her eyes sliding shut in an instinctive reaction to the low, rough timbre of desire in my voice. I felt the flush of heat as it spread from her body to mine.

"You're right," she said, her voice cracking, her breaths already becoming shallow. Her hands slid down my back, her fingertips hooking through my belt loops, drawing my hips toward hers. "We can talk later."

"I was hoping you'd say that," I whispered a breath away from her lips.

Without any further warning, I swooped down and scooped her right off her feet. Because it was such a spontaneous decision, she didn't have time to prepare herself for the sudden change of position.

She half-squealed, half-laughed, her hands automatically securing themselves around my neck so that I wouldn't drop her.

But that wasn't going to happen anyway. I had no intentions of letting her get any further away than she was right then.

Alice laughed as I tossed her onto the bed, the devilish grin on my face her only warning. I soaked in her breathless laughter as I was pulled down beside her by her interlocked fingers around my neck.

But when I rolled to hover over her, my lips finding hers with an accuracy born of many years of practice, her laughter abruptly ceased, turning instead to a throaty moan.

Heat flared, and clothes melted away under eager, searching hands.

Time stopped, and everything else faded away as we happily… blissfully… lost ourselves in each other.


	6. Chapter 6

For all those of you who are hanging in there with me still, I have but two things to say. Thank you. And I love you. :)

As always, all recognizable themes, characters, and dialogue belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I make no claim to any of it… I just love her characters too much to leave them alone.

Happy reading! 

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Jasper**

.

In keeping with the sleepover charade they had going, Alice drove Bella home the next morning. It seemed that Edward and Bella had worked through whatever issues they'd had the night before. There was no lingering resentment or tension to be found between them when they came walking down the stairs, hand in hand, that morning. It was like nothing had ever happened at all.

Edward was obviously reluctant to let Bella go even knowing it was only for a short time. He didn't exactly have a choice, though. It would have been so many shades of stupid for him to be the one to take her home since he was supposed to have been "hiking" this weekend. The last thing he needed to do was rouse Charlie's suspicions like that.

As soon as the girls were gone, he seemed to be at loose ends, not sure what to do with himself. He was restless – physically and emotionally – even more so when Alice came back sans Bella. He waited only a few minutes, as little time as he could realistically get away with, before jumping into the Volvo and racing off to Bella's.

Emmett chuckled when Edward, clearly preoccupied, left without so much as a goodbye or a glance in our direction.

"Whipped," Emmett laughed under his breath. "So whipped."

I snorted. Alice shot him a dirty look from over the magazine she'd picked up.

Just moments after that, two things happened simultaneously, jarring us all from the peacefulness of the morning.

Alice shot bolt upright in her seat, the magazine she held falling through her fingers, splaying out on the floor just as Emmett's phone rang.

Everyone had frozen in place at the sound of Alice's horrified gasp. Without thinking, I jumped up from the couch and raced across the room to her side, placing my hands on her shoulders to steady her trembling form. At that contact, her horror, her disbelief, her shock, were magnified tenfold. She didn't even react to my touch, her eyes were distant and blank – searching.

"Edward?" Emmett answered his phone, his face awash in confusion. "What's – "

But Edward didn't give him a chance to finish.

"Emmett, there was someone here. In Bella's house. In her room," his voice was frantic and clipped. "I don't recognize the scent. I'm bringing Bella back to the house, and I need you to sweep the woods. Make sure they're gone and that Charlie is safe. Bella's worried about him."

Emmett's eyes met mine over Alice's head. "Tell him we're on our way," I said, squeezing Alice's shoulders and striding out the door with Emmett right at my heels.

The two of us raced through the woods toward the Swan house. The scent was easily detectable around the perimeter of their yard, but my guess was that it was at least four or five hours old. And, like Edward, I didn't recognize it.

From inside the house, we could hear the tinny sounds of a baseball game through the television screen. We could see Charlie stretched out on the couch, oblivious now just as he had been earlier to the magnitude of the danger he was in.

That was probably for the best, though. Ignorance was bliss in such cases. Especially when there was nothing he could do to protect himself or prevent something like this from happening again.

Emmett and I followed the scent of the intruder several miles to the east before it made a turn south. We could only track it a few miles more before it disappeared altogether. Any trace of the trail vanished at a rather hidden side road.

Emmett swore when we lost the scent, running a hand through his hair with a huff.

"They must have had a car waiting," I muttered.

"Of all the rotten luck," he scowled.

I didn't reply. Instead, I turned around, pacing back into the denser part of the trees where the scent was strongest.

Aside from the most obvious reasons, I was worried. This was orchestrated too well. All of it.

The fact that they'd had a car waiting so that their scent could only be traced so far just compounded that. I didn't believe for a moment that this was some random occurrence. It couldn't be.

And the timing?

The situation in Seattle was growing more worrisome by the day. We'd been keeping a close eye on it, and I didn't like what I was seeing.

I'd observed this pattern before.

The mass murders. The careless disposal of the victims. The heedless destruction.

It had to be the work of newborns. Few mature immortals were foolish enough to be that careless. Not those that had heard of the Volturi, at any rate. And how many of us were there that _didn't_ know who they were, and, because of that knowledge, harbor a very healthy sort of respect for them… a respect bordering on fear.

And now this today.

Was it coincidence that at the same time such chaos was taking place right in our backyard, so to speak, that some unknown immortal chose, of all dwellings, the Swan home to break into? I couldn't see how that was even a possibility.

And this wasn't the work of a newborn, I was willing to bet on that. No newborn would have had the strength or the motivation to leave Charlie Swan alive and unharmed.

They obviously weren't there to kill or to feed. So what was their purpose?

Was this the work of the newborns' creator or someone else altogether?

Who could be behind it all? My mind ran through each possible culprit… Victoria, the Volturi… neither one seemed likely to me. But who else would have the motivation?

The large scale of the destruction in Seattle had the fingerprints of the South all over it. An army of newborns. But why? Why here? It didn't make sense. Not at all.

I had thousands of questions reeling through my mind, but no answers.

I didn't have the faintest idea where the answers to those questions might be found, but I knew we _needed_ to find them… and soon. We were very fortunate that today hadn't had the dire outcome it could have, but there was no guarantee that whoever had been there wouldn't come back.

We had to stop them.

There was no other way around it. They had to be stopped – whether that meant going to Seattle to clean up, or finding some way to trace down the intruder. We'd have to do whatever it took to find them and stop them. The possibilities if they were allowed to continue were too grim to bear.

Feeling Emmett's eyes on my back, I followed the scent to a particularly large fern and plucked it from the base. The scent of our intruder lingered there.

Just because we didn't recognize it didn't mean that none of the others would. It was a long shot, but we couldn't afford to leave any avenue unexplored.

I pocketed the frond and, reluctantly, Emmett and I turned our steps back towards home.

The intruder was gone without a trace for now. But there was no question in my mind that they'd be back.

And we'd be waiting for them. 

* * *

**Alice**

.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

How could I have been so stupid? Someone had been right there! Right in Bella's bedroom, and I hadn't seen them. Not even the slightest glimmer. If she'd been there… If they'd hurt her… I didn't know how I could have ever lived with myself again.

I wouldn't have been able to.

Such an oversight was absolutely inexcusable. It was unforgivable.

Stupid!

All of us had been standing at the ready after Jasper and Emmett had run out to search for the intruder, waiting to do something, _anything_, at a moment's notice. Even though it was too little too late.

No one had been there because I hadn't seen them.

Only a few moments later, Edward came storming into the house with Bella in tow. "What happened?" he hissed, dropping Bella's hand as he came to stand in front of me, his own hands balled into fists.

"I have no idea," I said in a small voice, my arms curled around my chest. I didn't dare look up at him. "I didn't see anything."

"How is that _possible_?" he demanded. I couldn't see his eyes, but I could feel the fire of his gaze burning me.

"Edward," Bella interrupted, trying to tame his fury.

"It's not an exact science, Edward," Carlisle tried next to intervene. But it did no good.

"He was in her _room_, Alice. He could have been there – waiting for her," Edward all but yelled, towering over me.

"I would have seen that," I protested. Surely I would have seen that. If he'd been there waiting for her when I dropped her off, surely there was no possible way I could have missed that.

Edward threw up his hands in exasperation. "Really? You're sure?" he spat in a scathing voice that ripped at my flesh like a whip.

I wanted to break down and cry. I wanted to scream.

I was already furious with myself, but to hear this from him… to feel the weight of his blame… knowing how he surely would have blamed me if something _had_ gone wrong…

It was too much.

"You've already got me watching the Volturis' decisions, watching for Victoria's return, watching Bella's every step. You want me to add another? Do I just have to watch Charlie, or Bella's room, or the house, or the whole street, too?" My words spewed from my mouth, the only outlet I had for my impotent fury. "Edward, if I try to do too much, things are going to start slipping through the cracks."

"It looks like they already are," Edward snapped.

He might as well have physically struck me. I had to force myself not to flinch away from the sting of his words.

"She was never in any danger. There was nothing to see," I said flatly.

If I said it enough, maybe I could force myself to believe it. To maybe feel a little less guilty about my horrendous oversight.

"If you're watching Italy, why didn't you see them send – "

I shook my head, cutting him off. "I don't think it's them. I would have seen that." I was watching for that.

"Who else would leave Charlie alive?"

"I don't know."

"Helpful," Edward bit off, his face one of pure fury, his teeth clenched tightly together.

"Stop it, Edward." Bella's voice was quiet but firm.

Edward turned to her, releasing me from his furious glare. I heard him sigh a moment later.

"You're right, Bella. I'm sorry." He looked at me again, his eyes losing the fire they held before. "Forgive me, Alice. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. That was inexcusable."

I shrugged. "I understand. I'm not happy about it either."

Edward took a deep breath, calming himself further. "Okay, let's look at this logically. What are the possibilities?"

Once he relaxed, everyone else in the room seemed to as well. I perched on the back of the couch, and Esme sat down in front of me, curling her legs up under her. Edward and Bella sat down next to her. Carlisle walked toward the sofa as well, his eyes vacant as he mulled over the situation. Rosalie was the only one who stayed where she was. With her back to us, facing the window. She hadn't moved once throughout the entire discussion.

"Victoria?" Carlisle asked, presenting the most obvious suspect.

Edward shook his head. And I agreed with him on this one. I would have seen her decide to come here.

"No. I didn't know the scent. He might have been from the Volturi, someone I've never met…"

Now it was my turn to shake my head. "Aro hasn't asked anyone to look for her yet. I _will_ see that. I'm waiting for it."

Edward's head snapped up. "You're waiting for an official command."

"You think someone's acting on their own? Why?"

"Caius's idea," he said, his face tightening again.

"Or Jane," I suggested. "They both have the resources to send an unfamiliar face…"

Edward's scowl deepened. "And the motivation."

"It doesn't make sense, though," Esme protested, speaking for the first time. "If whoever it was meant to wait for Bella, Alice would have seen that. He – or she – had no intention of hurting her. Or Charlie, for that matter."

Bella couldn't hide her grimace at that thought. A shudder shook her whole body.

Esme wrapped her arm tighter around her, smoothing her hair. "It's going to be fine, Bella," she murmured.

"But what was the point then?" Carlisle mused.

"Checking to see if I'm still human?" Bella guessed.

"Possible," Carlisle nodded.

Two pairs of footsteps could be heard approaching the house just then.

Jasper and Emmett.

Rosalie breathed a sigh of relief when she heard them, turning her face toward the kitchen where Emmett burst through a few seconds later, Jasper right behind him.

"Long gone, hours ago," Emmett announced, going to stand next to Rosalie, linking his fingers through hers when she reached out her hand for his. "The trail went East, then South, and disappeared on a side road. Had a car waiting."

"That's bad luck," Edward muttered. "If he'd gone west… well, it would be nice for those dogs to make themselves useful."

"Neither of us recognized him," Jasper spoke up. "But here." He held out a fern frond for Carlisle. "Maybe you know the scent."

"No," Carlisle said, taking the leafy green frond and holding it to his face. "Not familiar. No one I've ever met."

It wasn't lost on me the strain on Carlisle's face, the worry hidden deep in his eyes, the tense set of his shoulders. If Carlisle was nervous, then things were bad indeed.

"Perhaps we're looking at this the wrong way. Maybe it's a coincidence…" Esme started to say, but she stopped when we all turned to her with incredulous faces. "I don't mean a coincidence that a stranger happened to pick Bella's house at random," she explained. "I just meant that maybe someone was just curious. Our scent is all around her. Was he wondering what draws us there?"

"Why wouldn't he just come here then? If he was curious?" Emmett demanded.

"You would," Esme said with a sudden fond smile. "The rest of us aren't always so direct. Our family is very large – he or she might have been frightened. But Charlie wasn't harmed. This doesn't have to be an enemy."

Such a theory was so like Esme. An optimist through and through. Always willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

I really couldn't see that being the case this time.

"I don't think so. The timing of it was too perfect… This visitor was so careful to make no contact. Almost like he or she knew that I would see."

"He could have had other reasons for not making contact," Esme said.

"Does it really matter who it was?" Bella asked with a frantic pitch to her voice. "Just the chance that someone _was_ looking for me… isn't that reason enough? We shouldn't wait for graduation."

"No, Bella," Edward said quickly. "It's not that bad. If you're really in danger, we'll know."

I fought to bite back my snort. He was sure singing a different tune to her than he was to me a few minutes ago.

"Think of Charlie," Carlisle reminded her. "Think of how it would hurt him if you disappeared."

"I am thinking of Charlie! He's the one I'm worried about! What if my little guest had happened to be hungry last night? As long as I'm around Charlie, he's a target, too. If anything happened to him, it would be all my fault!" Bella said almost without taking a breath.

"Hardly, Bella," Esme reassured her, patting her hair. "And nothing will happen to Charlie. We're just going to have to be more careful."

"_More_ careful?" Bella repeated in disbelief.

"It's all going to be fine, Bella," I promised.

And it would be. No matter what we had to do to make sure that it was. 

* * *

**Jasper**

.

Edward left shortly after that. Taking a large portion of the tension in the room with him. We were all worried, but the conglomeration of emotions whirling around inside him was almost enough to give me a headache… or something of that nature. Whatever the vampire version of a headache would be.

After Edward and Bella left, Alice drifted out of the room silently, not looking at any of us. I heard the kitchen door shut after her.

Next to Edward, she was undoubtedly the most upset. I'd felt her guilt earlier, and I knew she felt responsible in some measure for anyone getting so close to Bella that he could have been in her room without her noticing. It wasn't her fault, but her guilt wouldn't permit her to see that.

I gave her a minute and then went after her, following her scent. I found her a few miles up the river, standing on the bank with her arms wrapped tightly around her midsection. She didn't even seem to realize I was there.

I came up behind her and laced my arms over hers, nudging her back to rest against me. She melted into my embrace, turning to wrap her arms around me, pressing her cheek to the center of my chest.

For several long moments, I feathered caresses over her back, her hair, kissing her forehead and her temples repeatedly. I absorbed her emotions into myself, noting each one, cataloguing them and running them over and over in my mind the way one would trace a smooth stone in the palm of their hand.

Something was off.

I could understand her guilt – even if I didn't agree with it. I could understand a certain measure of anger and worry… but worry to this extent? And then there was the hurt… hurt that went all the way to the very core of her.

What could be the cause of that?

I _knew_ Alice. Though with most people, I could feel the emotion yet not the cause of it, I knew Alice and the tenor of her emotions well enough to gauge where they stemmed from. I was more sensitive to the smallest nuances of her emotions than anyone else's. Just like the inflection of her voice gave me clues to what she was thinking, I knew each shade of her emotions and what they meant.

Based on the events of the day, and how well I knew my family's dispositions, it wasn't too hard to figure out what was hurting her.

I kept my voice even and quiet though I was suddenly irate. "He said something to you, didn't he?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.

I didn't have to explain my question to her either. She knew what I meant… and who I was referring to.

Her brief flash of pain was all the confirmation I needed.

"He was upset," she said in a small voice.

"That's no excuse." I tightened my embrace, curving my body protectively around her.

"He knows that. And he apologized."

"Apologizing doesn't make it right."

"It's fine, Jasper," she said, obviously trying to end the discussion.

"No, it's not," I said heatedly, cupping her face in my palms and making her look at me. "It's not fine for him to intentionally make you feel guilty for something that's not your fault. It's _not_ fine for him to take out his anger and frustration on you."

"Jasper, he was upset, he spoke out of turn, and he apologized for it. Please, just drop it. It's over. And besides," she ducked her head again, laying her forehead against my chest, "that's not what I'm worried about." Her voice was barely audible.

"What is it, then?" I asked, wrapping her tightly in my arms again. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't see him."

"The intruder?"

She nodded, not looking up.

"And I couldn't see all of you when we were chasing Victoria the other day. You just vanished."

"Darlin, the wolves were there. You saw us just fine before they came into the picture."

"It doesn't matter. I still couldn't see you. There's a lot I can't see these days."

The vacant, lifeless tone of voice worried me. That wasn't like her at all. "What are you saying? Alice, talk to me. What's going through your mind right now?" I asked, stroking my hand over her hair.

She didn't respond for the longest time. And I thought I might very well go crazy in the silence.

"What if I'm losing it?" she asked finally, in a voice so low I almost missed it, a mere whisper of sound.

"Losing what, Alice? Your sight?" I asked incredulously.

She just nodded.

"Is that even possible?"

"I don't know," she whispered again. "But… but I'm afraid."

"Have you talked to Carlisle?"

She shook her head. "I didn't even want to voice it before now. I was afraid that saying it out loud would actually make it real. I know that's silly, but… Do you think it is? Possible, I mean, that something like that could happen?"

I thought very carefully before I spoke, mulling over even the possibility, any half-heard conversation from the past that would lead me in the right direction to answer her question.

"Truthfully, I don't know. I've never heard of anyone losing their gift before. Usually it's just the opposite. The more time that passes, the stronger one's gift tends to grow."

"Then why is this happening? Why am I missing so much?" her voice was strained and thin.

"I wish I had an answer for you, darlin. I really do."

She shrugged listlessly against me. "It's all right. I didn't really expect one."

"I think you ought to talk to Carlisle about this, though. He'll probably be able to give you a better answer than I can."

Alice just nodded and burrowed deeper into me. "I suppose."

For a long time after that, I just held her. We didn't talk, I didn't attempt to console her with words, I just lent her my embrace, sheltering her as much as I could.

Eventually, though, I could sense that she wanted to be alone again, so, with a final, gentle kiss to her lips, I left her to her own thoughts.

I had to admit, however, that I did have an ulterior motive. I hadn't made a conscious decision because I didn't really want Alice to see it and try to stop me. But it was there, tickling at the edges of my mind, nonetheless.

I was waiting, right in Edward's path as he returned home. He wouldn't quite meet my eyes as he got out of the Volvo. He knew exactly why I was there.

I propped myself against the hood of his car, blocking his entrance into the house. "You and I need to talk," I hissed, my lips curled back over my teeth.

"Jasper," he started to protest, but stopped short as I leveled him with a glare. He swallowed. And I took a perverse sense of satisfaction in the fact that he was as uncomfortable as he was.

"After you," I said, gesturing away from the house and into the woods. Reluctantly, he turned and walked in the direction I pointed. We kept going until we were out of earshot from the rest of the family.

"I already apologized to her. I was wrong. I know that," he said when we finally came to a standstill, trying to stop me before I even got started.

"I don't give a damn if you said 'sorry,'" I glared at him. "You hurt her, Edward, and saying you're sorry doesn't change that. It doesn't take those words back. And it sure as hell doesn't undo the damage they did."

"I know that, too. I told you, I was wrong."

"Yeah, you were. And so help me, Edward, if you _ever_ pull shit like that again, mark my words, I will make sure you regret it. I'll see to it that you're regretting it for a _long_ time. Do I make myself clear?" I inched closer until I was standing right over him, glowering directly into his face.

Edward nodded, choosing not to say anything, though he did shift uncomfortably under the heat of my stare. He wasn't exactly intimidated, but hopefully he'd remember this before he ever took his anger out on Alice again. He knew I'd make good on my threat. There was no question about that.

"She's not your punching bag, Edward. And she has enough on her mind without you dumping that kind of garbage on her."

"I know," he said quietly. "There was no excuse for that."

Furious as I was, I still had to admit that the remorse Edward felt was genuine. That didn't do a whole lot to make me feel better, though. Not after seeing what I'd just seen. Not after seeing Alice weighted down with that kind of hurt and insecurity.

Edward grimaced, seeing the direction of my thoughts. He sighed. "I think I should probably go find Alice. I owe her a better apology than the one I gave her earlier."

"I think that's a good idea," I said, stepping down from my offensive stance.

"I'll go now," he said quietly. "For what it's worth, Jasper, I really do regret what I said. You're right, no matter upset I was, it was inexcusable of me to take it out on her. You know I love Alice. I didn't mean to hurt her. And I truly don't blame her for what happened."

"That's the only reason you're still standing here in one piece now." Despite the fact that my anger was cooling, and in contradiction to the dry smile that pulled one corner of my mouth up, we both knew there was an element of truth to what I'd just said.

If anyone else had spoken to Alice the way he had… if anyone else had hurt her the way he did… they'd be attempting to put themselves back together right now… once they'd found all the missing pieces, that is. The fact that he was my brother wouldn't have saved him, and he knew it.

"Forgive me?" he asked with a hint of a self-deprecating smile.

"I'll think about it," I shrugged, an edge of teasing in my voice.

After Edward had gone to find Alice, I loped through the woods again in the opposite direction. I wanted to do another sweep of the area to see if I could find anything I'd missed the first time… anything at all that would provide clues about the intruder. I highly doubted I'd find anything, but I figured it was worth a try.

I crossed Esme's scent heading towards Bella's house. She was there, keeping watch over Bella while Edward was gone. Someone was going to have to be there every second now – both for her peace of mind and Edward's.

All my concerns came flooding back as I combed the woods. That was yet another reason why I'd wanted to head out here by myself. I didn't want Edward anywhere nearby to hear them. Not now at least. Like Alice, ridiculous as it was, I didn't really want to have to put my concerns into words. As if doing so would somehow give substance to the wraithlike fears.

But the questions kept coming, all without answer. Deep in my gut I knew this was the same pattern I'd seen repeated so many times before, but I truly didn't want to believe it. Not here. Not intruding on the peaceful existence my family and I had worked so hard to build.

But what else could it be?

As the shadows of the night grew deeper, I knew I needed to talk to Carlisle. I needed to share my concerns with him… some of them at least.

He needed to be aware. And we all needed to be informed.

That was the only way we could possibly combat the threat that was crouching at our doorstep, waiting for the right moment to strike. 

* * *

Big thanks to all of you for reading. Reviews put a smile on my face and an itch to write in my fingers. Help me out with that? ;)

Hugs,

Nik


	7. Chapter 7

Surprised to see me again so soon? Yeah, not gonna lie, I am too. ;)

Thanks so much to all of you for your sweet reviews last chapter! Pretty sure I have some of the best readers ever. :D

You know the drill by now… I own nothing… these characters own me. It's sad really. LOL Enjoy the chapter! 

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Jasper**

.

It was well into the morning before I trudged up the stairs to find Carlisle. He was in his study, exactly where I had expected to find him. A medical journal was open on his desk as well as one of his own leather bound journals, half-filled with his notes, written in the elegant flowing script of another time.

He looked up when I stopped just outside the doorway. "Jasper," he said in greeting, a hint of surprise in his voice. I didn't often interrupt when he was busy. And I knew he could see the worry and the consternation on my face.

I wasn't relishing the conversation that was to come, but I didn't see any way around it now. "May I speak with you for a moment?" I asked, stepping inside his office.

"Of course." His reply was immediate and welcoming, though curious. He gestured toward one of the large black leather chairs on the other side of his desk. "What's on your mind?" he asked, closing his books to give me his undivided attention.

I stared, unseeing, out the window for several breaths. "It's newborns," I finally said without preamble.

Carlisle's hand froze midair as he reached to put his pen in its holder.

"In Seattle," I continued in a clipped voice. "They're newborns. I'd bet my life on it."

Carlisle just stared at me, the ticking of the grandfather clock behind me the only sound in the room. Finally he lowered his head to his hands with a heavy sigh. "I was afraid that was the case."

"About fifteen or sixteen of them, I'd guess. No more than twenty based on the reports we're getting. It's obvious that no one is training these newborns or taking responsibility for them.

"Their numbers will be fluctuating. It's not possible to have that many newborns in one location and keep them all in one piece. But it would appear that they're being replaced just as quickly as they're killed."

Carlisle weighed my words carefully, a frown creasing his forehead. He stood and walked around the big wooden desk to sit in the chair opposite mine, angling himself to face me. "Tell me, Jasper, do you think that these newborns and our intruder yesterday are related?"

"I think the timing of it is too uncanny for them not to be," I said honestly.

"But what could be their purpose?" he asked, shaking his head.

"I've been puzzling over that all night, and I'm no closer to having an answer than before. It doesn't make sense. But it's too calculated to be a coincidence."

Carlisle nodded, his eyes distant. "Yes, I suppose it is. So what do you suggest we do now?"

"Under any other circumstances, I'd say let's wait it out. It's not our place to interfere. They'll wipe themselves out – self-destruct internally – or the Volturi will take care of them. But I don't think we have the luxury of very much time right now.

"They're too close to home, and we can't afford to have the Volturi coming here now. They were lenient in letting Bella live the first time. I doubt they'll be so forgiving to see that she's still in the same state they left her in before."

"You're right," Carlisle sighed, his forehead wrinkled in deep contemplation. "So what can we do? Should we go to Seattle, then? Is it even feasible to think that we…" he stopped, struggling for the right words.

I knew exactly what he was thinking, and I could see how much it pained him to even consider it as an option.

"Is it feasible to consider that our family would be able to handle the… elimination…" he all but choked on the word, "of so many newborns?"

That – that very thought he'd just voiced – was the sole reason I hadn't wanted to have this conversation in the first place. The idea of seeing any of my family going to head-to-head with newborns that would outnumber them two to one, at the very least, left me feeling like I couldn't breathe.

The only comparison I could even draw to that feeling was the time as a young boy I had fallen – from what or even from how high, I really couldn't remember now. But what I did remember was that I had landed directly on my back. I remembered laying there, staring dazedly at the sky, feeling like every last particle of air had been knocked right from my lungs. I couldn't move. And it was impossible to breathe again.

That was exactly how I felt now.

Could we take on those odds and walk away from it afterward? Was the situation dire enough to necessitate such a risk?

If there was any other avenue to take, any other option to explore, we needed to do so. Engaging ourselves in a fight needed to be our very last ditch effort… after everything else even remotely possible had been done.

But even then…

"I think," I began hesitantly, "that if we must involve ourselves in any way at all, we should go first only to scope it out and see firsthand what we're dealing with."

Carlisle nodded absently. "And then?" He looked at me with the weight of the world heavy in his eyes.

"And then we deal with the rest when the time comes."

It wasn't an answer to his question, and he knew that.

"We'll gather the family together tonight and discuss where we should go from here. We'll need to consult with Alice and find out what she sees if we do indeed go to Seattle. I'll call Edward and tell him what we've discussed. He'll need to ensure that the pack is willing to watch out for Bella and Charlie while we're meeting."

I just nodded. I really didn't want to talk anymore. I didn't even want to think about it. But speaking of it like this, putting plans in motion, it wasn't just a threat now. It was reality. And it had to be dealt with. In one form or another.

It worked out that night for Bella to spend the evening on the reservation. I was surprised Edward was as amendable to that as he was, but it seemed he really was trying to be more reasonable and understanding of her relationship with Jacob.

Still, I could see in his eyes the edge to his emotions when he returned to the house after dropping her off at the boundary line – even had I not been able to feel it. He was worried; he was jealous… no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

He was already agitated, and I knew this discussion was only going to make it that much worse.

"We can't let this go on," he said adamantly. "The longer we wait, the more we risk the Volturi getting involved."

"I'm rather surprised they've let it go on this long as it is," Carlisle admitted solemnly.

"Exactly," Edward nodded. And if they go to Seattle, they'll come here next. We can't let that happen. It won't end well if they do."

"Alice," Carlisle turned to look at her. She was perched on the third step, knees drawn up to her chest, her arms clasped around them. "Can you see what will happen if we go? Can you tell what the outcome would be?"

Alice shook her head, her eyes glazing over. "No. There's nothing there."

"Keep trying, Alice," Edward prodded her. "We have to go, and we need to know what we're up against."

Alice sighed and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate.

"What are we waiting for?" Emmett asked, sprawled on the couch with Rosalie tucked under his arm like he hadn't a care in the world. "We know we have to go eventually, so why wait? Let's get it done."

"This isn't something to be rushed into," I cautioned him, turning to face him from my post at the window. "And it's certainly not a task to be taken lightly. This is serious, Emmett."

"But we need to do something quickly," Edward interjected. "The risk becomes greater with every day that we wait."

"But to rush in recklessly puts us in the greatest risk of all," I argued. "I agree that we _will_ need to go, but I don't want to see anyone get hurt because we were careless. That's stupid."

"So is prolonging the inevitable," Edward shot back angrily.

Alice rocked back and forth on the stairs, her eyes glassy and distant. She was searching for our futures, but based on her mounting level of frustration – mirrored by Edward's – I knew even without being told that she wasn't seeing anything.

We continued debating back and forth, and the longer it went on, the more heated it became. Our family was made up of many strong personalities, and with that came strong wills.

Edward was adamant that we go now and not wait for something to go wrong before we acted. Emmett agreed with him, though on his part I knew it had more to do with the fact that he'd always choose action over inaction. It didn't matter what the risk or whether he was prepared or not, he was always ready to jump in head first.

Rose wasn't of the same mindset at all. She wasn't eager to get involved until she had no other choice.

Esme and Carlisle were both disturbed by the growing dissention. We all understood why Edward felt so strongly about this, and we all sympathized with that. No one wanted to see Bella get hurt, but neither did we want to walk headlong into something we weren't prepared for.

They both tried to diffuse the situation, but there was no talking anyone down.

Until we knew exactly what we were up against, the majority vote was to stay put and wait… for now.

But Edward wasn't having it. With a heightening sense of desperation, he continually urged Alice to keep looking.

Alice had essentially bowed out of the conversation long ago. She was staring blankly at the wall, trying to force herself to see something. I could feel her fear beginning to set in and a growing level of panic. Our futures were still blank pages to her.

The conflicting emotions throughout the room were overwhelming. I felt frustrated and angry, worried and scared, desperate and panicked. And only a fraction of that came from inside myself.

Edward was watching Alice's visions – or lack thereof, as the case was now – along with her and it was obvious that neither of them were happy with what they weren't seeing.

"Keep trying, Alice," he'd pleaded at intervals all throughout our discussion. She never made a verbal response, but each time I felt her straining harder and harder to reach for what was just outside her grasp.

Edward's head had shot up at one point, his eyes wide as if they'd finally gotten a glimmer of something.

"Try harder, Alice," he prodded. He knew if she were only able to see one way or the other, our decision would be made. If she could see us going and coming out unscathed, it would be our deciding factor to go now and not wait.

I growled at Edward, resisting the urge to put my fist through his face. If he didn't shut his mouth…

"Edward, shut up!" Rosalie spat. "Just shut up. You're not helping anything."

"_Thank_ you," I muttered in Rose's direction. If looks could kill, Edward would surely have dropped dead from the combined glares that Rosalie and I both had him pinned with.

The air in the room was crackling with tension. I could feel it pricking my skin, bubbling up inside me until I thought I might well implode from it. Anger, helplessness, frustration, fear… words couldn't come close to describing the emotions roiling throughout the room. It was like looking up at the gray, seething clouds before an immense storm. The electricity of it permeated the air, heavy and imposing. It threatened destruction. Massive destruction.

Not willing to stand by and watch any longer, I crossed the room and knelt down in front of Alice. She was still sitting on the stairs, her eyes glassy and empty, completely engrossed inside a world that existed only in her mind. Her tiny body rocked back and forth, arms wrapped around her chest… that repetitive movement her only sign of life.

The blend of her emotions was almost debilitating to me. She was fighting with all her might to be able to see something, straining towards the unknown with every fiber of her being. But she couldn't. She couldn't see anything. And it was killing her inside.

She was scared. She was panicked. Through her, it felt like the walls were closing in around us. Trapping us.

Yet it was all shrouded in a layer of unreality. It felt surreal. Much like I remembered the sensation of dreaming. It almost felt like a thin layer of glass separated her emotions from mine… keeping her just out of reach.

"Alice, stop," I pleaded, stroking my hands over her knees. "Just stop. It's not worth this."

She made no response. I felt no glimmer of recognition from her, and that only added to my helplessness and frustration.

I reached up to cradle her face in my hands. "Alice, darlin, come back to me. That's enough. Don't do this to yourself."

Nothing.

I was desperate. I felt like I couldn't reach her. And I _needed_ to reach her.

"Alice!" I placed my hands on her shoulders and gave her a shake, just enough to jar her back to the present.

She blinked dazedly, her head snapping up. "What… ? Why… ?" Her eyes focused on me. "Dammit, Jasper! Why did you do that?"

"Alice, it's pointless for you to put yourself through this. You can be mad at me all you want, but I'm not going to sit by and watch you torture yourself like this. Enough is enough."

Her eyes flashed fire, but I knew it wasn't really directed at me. I was just a convenient outlet. And anger was much easier to stomach than helplessness… both on her end and mine.

She scrubbed her hands over her face, her whole body shaking with fine tremors. I'd had enough of this for one night.

I jumped to my feet, taking her hand in mine. I didn't give her any time to protest as I led her through the living room, out the door, and into the trees behind the house.

As far as I was concerned, the discussion was over.

"Jasper, _what_ are you doing?" She tugged halfheartedly at my hand, trying to get me to stop. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Not yet."

She saw me breaking into a sprint even before my pace sped up, so she was able to match her steps to mine effortlessly. I kept her hand in mine while our steps pounded against the earth faster and faster still until finally we were racing through the trees.

The wind whipped through our hair, billowing through the fabric of our clothes. The adrenaline surging through our muscles was exhilarating… freeing in a way.

Alice let go of my hand, and I released her now without protest. As soon as she was free, she ran faster, gaining the lead. I pushed myself harder, catching up and then passing her altogether. We ran together in that pattern for what seemed like forever, pushing each other to go farther and faster, losing everything else except the power and strength coursing through our limbs.

I lost track of how far we'd run or even where we were. It really didn't matter.

We'd been running for two hours before Alice finally slowed, plopping down on the thick carpet of green grass. She sprawled on her back, eyes closed, breathing deeply, evenly. I was pleased to see that she was calmer now, all traces of the rough panic from back at the house faded into nothingness.

The moon shone down on her features. She looked ethereal in its light. I sat down next to her, gazing at the serenity of her features. She was peaceful now. And I felt like I could breathe again.

Eyes still closed, her head eventually rolled in my direction. A tranquil smile lifted her lips just before her eyes fluttered open.

I returned her smile. It was impossible not to even had I wanted to resist. Lowering myself to the grass beside her, I cupped her face in my hand, tracing over her cheekbone with my thumb. Her eyes were warm and loving, drawing me in. Still stroking her face with my fingertips, I leaned in, softly caressing her lips in a kiss.

She was warm and soft, and her breath tasted sweet on my lips as she sighed. I didn't want to pull away.

"I love you," she murmured, covering my hand with hers where it rested on her cheek.

"I love you more," I whispered, finding her lips one more time.

"I doubt that," she said, tangling her legs with mine.

"I'd know," I teased, drawing her even nearer.

She giggled airily, and I reveled in the sound.

Cloaked in the sounds of the night, we just lay there for a long while, sharing in each other's warmth, watching the stars glimmer against the velvet darkness of the sky. There was no one else around for miles… just the two of us.

The night covered us, shielding us for just a short time from the reality of what was waiting for us at home. It provided us with a few moments to breathe… to escape. And that was something that both of us had desperately needed.

Finally, I felt Alice shift beside me. She rolled me onto my back so that she could crawl on top of my chest. She propped her chin on her hands, looking at me, speculation in her eyes.

"What is it?" I asked, running my hands over her back, resting them in the curve of her hips.

"How did you know?" she asked cryptically, still studying me intently.

"What do you mean?"

"How did you know this was exactly what I needed?" she asked, tracing my face with her fingertip.

I shrugged, enjoying the warmth of her gentle touch on my face. "You were scared, you were panicked, and you felt trapped. It didn't take a genius to know that you needed an escape."

"I guess I did," she conceded in a whisper. "And the run felt good."

"Felt like the weights were lifted off your chest… and for just a few minutes you could leave everything else behind. Right?"

Alice nodded. "Yeah. It really did."

She lowered her hands then, settling her slight weight onto my chest. Immediately, I missed the warmth of her touch on my face. Her head fit right in the curve of my neck, the strands of her hair, dark as the night sky, tickling my skin.

"Jasper, I'm scared," she breathed when we were still again. Her voice had no more substance then the wind. But I heard her.

"You're trying too hard, Alice."

"I don't understand why I can't see. There's nothing there. I feel vulnerable; I feel like I'm letting everyone down."

"Don't even think that way, darlin. You're not letting anyone down."

"But – "

"Alice, it's our fault you can't see this in the first place."

She lifted her head to look at me with doubtful eyes.

"You're waiting for us to make a decision to go, and we're waiting for you to see what happens when we decide. So that has us all running around in circles. You won't see anything until we make a firm decision, and we aren't doing that until you see what we're up against. See where the problem is?"

"I suppose." She gnawed on her lip. "But I still don't like it."

"I know. But it's all going to be fine, Alice. Trust me."

She just nodded, letting the silence envelope us once again.

"We should probably be heading back," I said regretfully after a while. We hadn't told the others where we were going, and I knew they'd be concerned after our abrupt departure. And it was going to take us at the very least two more hours to make it back home.

"Five more minutes," Alice said, snuggling deeper into my arms.

I chuckled at her request. "I think we can manage that." And truthfully, I wasn't in any particular hurry to get back either.

But eventually we had to. Alice reluctantly got to her feet, extending her hand to pull me up. She laced her fingers through mine, swinging our joined hands between us as we walked.

It was almost a sense of déjà vu as we walked hand in hand through the canopy of the dark forest. And I smiled.

Alice saw. "What are you thinking?" she queried.

"We've been here before, haven't we, darlin?" I squeezed my fingers tighter around hers.

She knew immediately what I meant, I could see it on her face. Not here in the literal sense. But this moment bore very marked shades of our history… wandering together, hands interlaced… only this time there was a notable difference. This time our steps had a destination. We weren't walking just for the sake of moving. This time we were going home.

Alice smiled tenderly in remembrance, letting go of my hand and wrapping her arm around my waist. "Yeah, I think we have." 

* * *

**Alice**

.

Jasper and I didn't rush to get home. We both wanted to prolong the peaceful time with just the two of us. I'd needed this more than I'd realized. But as usual, Jasper knew what I needed even before I knew myself.

I felt decidedly better now than I had earlier. My concerns were certainly still there, and I was still irritated that my sight was failing me as much as it was. But I resolved for right now to put it out of my mind. Worrying about it didn't accomplish anything.

By the time we finally got back to the house, it was morning. I had just enough time to change my clothes and grab my things before I had to leave for school.

Jasper took me in his arms and held me close before I left, pressing a tender kiss to my lips. "Have a good day, darlin," he whispered, kissing the tip of my nose.

"I will. Don't miss me too much while I'm gone," I teased, loving the security of his arms around me like this. How had I ever existed without him?

He just chuckled. "I make no promises."

With a final kiss goodbye, I slipped downstairs to the garage. I hadn't seen anyone else on the way down, so I was a little surprised to find Edward waiting for me in the garage, standing beside his Volvo.

"Hi," he said sheepishly, opening the car door for me. "Want a ride?"

"Sure," I said, climbing in. "Thanks."

He was silent as we pulled out of the driveway, and his chest heaved in a quiet sigh once we got onto the road.

"I'm a jerk," he said suddenly, glancing at me with a sorrowful expression.

"You're not a jerk, Edward," I disagreed, shaking my head.

"I've been acting like one lately… especially with you." He swallowed hard and glanced back at me with undeniable sincerity in his eyes. "Alice, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for the way I treated you yesterday – for pushing you and pressuring you the way I did. I was wrong."

"Edward, it's all right," I tried to console him. "You're stressed out, you're upset… it's understandable that you'd snap. I'm not mad at you."

"No," he protested with a grave shake of his head. "It's not all right. This is twice in so many days that I've had to apologize to you. Nothing about that kind of behavior is 'all right,' Alice. I'm just hoping you'll forgive me for the way I've acted."

I smiled, releasing him from all the blame that he felt. "I already did… even before you asked."

"Thanks," he said simply, the lines of worry between his eyebrows easing just a little. He looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "You know I love you, right? Even when I act like an idiot."

"I know," I replied cheekily. "And I love you, too."

"So," he said, redirecting our conversation, a half smile tugging at his lips now. "Are you still planning to have that party."

"Of course," I replied as if the answer were obvious. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know that Bella is in the right frame of mind for a party right now," he hedged.

"Is she ever?" I asked bluntly. "It's her graduation. Edward. It's only right that she have a party to celebrate. And besides, aren't you the one who wanted her to celebrate every human experience before she's changed? It's no different than you convincing her to go to prom last year."

"Which I promised _not_ to do this year," he said, eyeing me in the rearview mirror.

I waved my hand dismissively. "And besides, you and I are graduating, too, so it's not like she's going to be the sole center of attention. It's for us, too, really."

"Do you honestly think that will make her feel any better about it?" he asked drily.

"Come on, Edward," I coaxed, admittedly with a bit of a pout, "just let me have my fun. She'll enjoy it in spite of herself and _you'll_ enjoy seeing her enjoy herself. And besides, it's going to be one of the last times she sees any of her friends from high school."

He didn't respond to that last line of thought, choosing another route of conversation entirely. "You're sure this is a good idea? Especially having it at our house?"

"Oh, come on, tell me that everyone hasn't been dying of curiosity lately at the thought of seeing inside 'the reclusive Cullens' house,'" I said in a dramatic voice.

"That wasn't exactly what I meant." He shifted uncomfortably from the driver's seat. "Can you actually promise me that this is going to go off without a hitch? No complications?"

"Meaning… ?" I asked pointedly. I had a feeling I knew what he was really asking, and I had to fight not to bristle at his insinuation.

Edward sighed and ran one hand through his hair. "You know I don't mean anything by that… it's just… knowing what happened last time we had a party, are you really sure it's a good idea to… tempt fate again?"

"I really don't think that's going to be an issue," I said stiffly. "You're not the only one whose perspective changed after we thought Bella drowned. Cut him some slack, Edward."

"I know," he said quietly. "And I'm not questioning that. Actually, I know he's not been around large crowds in a while, but he seems… better… in a way lately. Like he's not struggling quite as much."

Edward's observation softened me marginally, and I found myself relaxing again. "I've thought that, too. He's making progress. Not as quickly as I know he'd like, but still. It's there. He's going to be fine."

"Just do me one favor?" he asked, changing tracks again.

"Edward," I whined, seeing what he was going to ask. "No."

"You need to tell Bella about the party. You know she'll be even more upset if you spring it on her at the last minute. She doesn't like surprises. She needs time to prepare."

"Fine," I conceded reluctantly, crossing my arms over my chest with a scowl. "I'll tell her." He was right – she'd only be that much more difficult if I tried to surprise her with the party. I could see that much.

"Today," he prompted, no room for discussion in his tone.

I "humphed" under my breath, but I could feel his eyes boring into me from the rearview mirror, waiting for my response.

"Okay," I huffed. "I'll tell her today. Are you happy?"

"Very," he said, grinning crookedly. "And Alice?" He looked back at me as we pulled into Bella's driveway. "In case I haven't told you lately, you're the best."

I returned his happy smile without even a conscious thought.

"I know." 

* * *

Thanks so much for reading! Pretty please with sugar on top take a second and let me know what you thought? Reviews keep me going. ;) Until next time…

Hugs,

Nik


	8. Chapter 8

Hello again! Miss me? ;)

Bear with me briefly before we get started, k? There's a couple of things I want to cover real quick.

I've been dreading parts of this chapter since I was midway through writing in New Moon and realized that I'd have to write this particular scene. The part I've been dreading so much? Jasper's story as told to Bella. We're all so familiar with it we could probably quote it without looking, so I didn't want to go into too much detail and be redundant, but it's also a huge part of the story – as well as a great part of Jasper's character progression. It needed to be told without being completely glossed over. I wrestled with how to handle it for a LONG time, and I'm mostly happy with how it turned out. Hopefully you will be as well.

I didn't go into too much detail in his personal history, but the part I did reiterate was the history of how the newborn army originated. It ties in so much to the rest of the story that I felt it needed recapping here. If you haven't read it in a while, I'd encourage you to at least skim through it now. No matter how many times I go over it, I still find myself noting details I hadn't picked up on before.

If you don't want to read through all of that, you won't be missing anything new. I didn't embellish too much in that particular section. It's mostly his dialogue verbatim from the book.

Okay, enough from me for now. I'll see you all at the end! Happy reading! 

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Jasper**

The news droned on in the living room the next day. Carlisle, Esme, and I sat listening with a growing sense of dread seeping into our hearts.

The numbers of the dead were mounting rapidly. Ten new victims had been murdered in just the last few days. Their speculation now was turning to a wildly active serial killer, and the whole city was living under a curtain of fear, not knowing where they would strike next. No place was safe.

It was all over the news, discussed on every single station. People were talking amongst themselves, debating constantly on just who the guilty party behind all of the chaos might be. But none of them were even close.

This was attracting too much attention. Regardless of how much our family had wanted to wait before involving ourselves, if we were going to do anything, we needed to do it soon, before the Volturi stepped in.

It didn't seem that we were going to be able to wait for Alice to see anything. We were going to have to walk in blindly.

And I had a horrible suspicion that it was a more complex situation than we truly knew. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that the culprits involved were newborns. But this wasn't just a random conglomeration... they'd been created for a purpose. With a certain end in mind.

Alice sat on the bottom step of the staircase with her head buried in her hands. A cloud of discouragement hung over her almost visibly. She was still unable to see any outcome for us if we were to go. And the newborns continued to be vague and unclear to her.

The three of us were still staring intently at the screen when we heard Edward and Bella walk in through the front door.

Emmett came ambling out of the kitchen then, joining them on the way to the living room. He was the only one not affected by the tension hovering in the air.

"Hey, Edward. Ditching, Bella?" He grinned widely at them.

"We both are," Edward reminded him.

Emmett laughed. "Yes, but it's _her_ first time through high school. She might miss something."

Edward didn't say anything, just rolled his eyes. He turned to Carlisle instead and tossed the newspaper he carried toward him. "Did you see that they're considering a serial killer now?"

Carlisle sighed. "They've had two specialists debating that possibility on CNN all morning."

"We can't let this go on," Edward replied somberly.

"Let's go now. I'm dead bored," Emmett said, eager at the thought of something to do, completely unconcerned by the gravity of what he proposed.

A low hiss from Rosalie sounded upstairs. And that was all it took to make Emmett's face fall.

"She's such a pessimist," he muttered to himself.

"We'll have to go sometime," Edward said to no one in particular.

Rose appeared at the top of the stairs then, descending slowly. Her face was impassive as she joined us.

Carlisle was shaking his head as she glided into the room. "I'm concerned. We've never involved ourselves in this kind of thing before. It's not our business. We aren't the Volturi."

"I don't want the Volturi to come here," Edward responded. "It gives us so much less reaction time."

I had to resist the urge to shake my head. We were right back where we started a few days ago. Nothing had changed. And we were no closer now to a solution than we'd been then.

"And all those innocent humans in Seattle. It's not right to let them die this way," Esme murmured, her eyes sorrowful at the thought of so many stolen lives.

"I know," Carlisle sighed again, his face taut with strain.

Dread churned in my stomach. The longer this went on, the more impossible it was to deny that my suspicions weren't simply suspicions. They were real.

_It's an army_.

"Oh," Edward's head snapped in my direction, the one syllable coming out sharply. "I didn't think of that."

I didn't even glance at him as I continued. My eyes were still staring blankly at the television screen, not even noticing what was playing now.

_Someone's creating an army in Seattle. It's the only explanation for the creation of so many and why they're being left to run wild in the city_.

"I see. You're right, that has to be it."

_I don't know why, or what their purpose, but I've seen this too many times not to recognize the signs. I don't see how it could possibly be anything else_.

"Well, that changes everything," Edward said quietly, almost to himself.

All eyes turned to us in confusion... and some slight annoyance at the one-sided exchange.

"I think you'd better explain to the others," Edward said, lost in thought. "What could be the purpose of this?" He started to pace back and forth across the room, his emotions running as rampant as I was certain his thoughts were.

Alice got up from her perch on the stairs and ghosted across the room to stand behind me. "What is he rambling about?" she asked, placing her hands on my shoulders, kneading the tense muscles. "What are you thinking?"

I didn't answer right away. Everyone had turned to me for an explanation. I studied their faces, not eager to give the answers I had no choice but to speak.

I paused when I got to Bella. Her eyebrows were drawn together in puzzlement... but it wasn't the same as the others.

Based on the interactions she'd observed in our family over the last couple of years, I knew she didn't understand why I was so much more heavily involved in this scenario than she'd ever seen me before. With the lifestyle we lived, usually my opinion held no more weight than anyone else's. They didn't usually come to me for answers.

With their knowledge of my background, the rest of my family could draw a conclusion based on my reaction. But Bella couldn't. I didn't know what Edward, or even Alice, had told her about me, but I knew it probably wasn't very detailed.

"You're confused," I observed, just barely loud enough for her to hear.

"We're all confused," Emmett grumbled.

"You can afford the time to be patient," I told him, not turning my head to even look at him. "Bella should understand this, too. She's one of us now."

At my declaration, Bella's surprise was visible on her face, her jaw slacking open just slightly.

It was the truth, though. As Edward's mate, she was just as much a part of our family as he was. She'd proven her love for Edward – for our entire family, really – repeatedly. She was loyal and courageous, willing to put her own life on the line for us, willing to sacrifice, to put herself at risk for our safety.

Despite our history – ranging back even before we'd met, when Edward first displayed his fascination for the little human girl – she'd wholeheartedly won my respect. She'd undeniably earned her place with us.

"How much do you know about me, Bella?" I asked quietly.

Emmett sighed theatrically before Bella could even respond, and plopped down on the couch to wait. He'd heard this story before. They'd all heard it before. Parts of it at least. Some things didn't bear repeating.

Bella had not. Not from me at least.

"Not much," she admitted softly.

I looked up at Edward in some small surprise.

_You haven't told her anything about me?_

"No," he met my eyes when he heard my silent question. "I'm sure you can understand why I haven't told her that story. But I suppose she needs to hear it now."

I nodded.

My mind raced, trying to determine how best to explain my history to someone who had no conception of the darkest side of our world. Bella knew more about our kind than most, but even she could have no way of dreaming just how twisted and evil that world could be.

She stood silently under my scrutiny, but a subtle shift in her position gave me exactly the idea I needed. A way to have her relate in some small measure for what I was about to tell her.

Slowly, even to the eyes of a human, I rolled up the sleeve of my sweater, baring my wrist and holding it close to the light of the lamp beside me.

Bella stepped closer, watching me with confusion and curiosity. Her eyes followed my hand as I traced one of the many scars that littered my skin.

Her forehead creased as her human eyes tried to make sense of the patterns on my flesh.

"Oh," she breathed in sudden realization, her eyes going wide. "Jasper, you have a scar exactly like mine." The heat of her human skin scalded me as she put out her hand, holding it against mine.

I smiled a bit ruefully at the innocence of her statement. "I have a lot of scars like yours, Bella." I kept my expression vague as I pushed my sleeve higher up my arm, baring more of the ravages that war had left behind.

She stared harder, the half circles of scars only barely visible to her... not nearly as prominent on the paleness of my skin as it was on hers. She finally gasped, looking back at her own scar, her eyes darting back to mine, filled with horror – not fear as I had almost expected, but a kind of sympathy as she recalled how she'd gotten her own scar and the pain that was involved.

"Jasper, what _happened_ to you?"

"The same thing that happened to your hand," I told her quietly, "repeated a thousand times over. Our venom is the only thing that leaves a scar." I realized after I'd spoken that I'd been absently brushing at my skin, rubbing in attempt to soothe the remembered sting.

"Why?" she breathed in horror, still staring, her eyes darting back and forth between my face and my arm.

"I didn't have quite the same upbringing as my adopted siblings here," I told her. "My beginning was something else entirely."

She stared at me, her jaw still slack. The others had turned their attention elsewhere. Only Edward was still listening, ready to gauge her reactions to what I was about to reveal.

"Before I tell you my story, you must understand that there are places in our world, Bella, where the lifespan of the never-aging is measured in weeks, and not centuries. To really understand why, you have to look at the world from a different perspective. You have to imagine the way it looks to the powerful, the greedy… the perpetually thirsty.

"You see, there are places in this world that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can be less restrained, and still avoid detection.

"Picture, for instance, a map of the western hemisphere. Picture on it every human life as a small red dot. The thicker the red, the more easily we – well, those who exist this way – can feed without attracting notice.

"Not that the covens in the South care much for what the humans notice or do not. It's the Volturi that keep them in check. They are the ones the southern covens fear. If not for the Volturi, the rest of us would be quickly exposed.

"The North is, by comparison, very civilized. Mostly we are nomads here who enjoy the day as well as the night, who allow humans to interact with us unsuspectingly – anonymity is important to us all.

"It's a different world in the South. The immortals there come out only at night. They spend the day plotting their next move, or anticipating their enemy's. Because it has been war in the South, constant war for centuries, with never one moment of truce. The covens there barely notice the existence of humans, except as soldiers notice a herd of cows by the wayside – food for the taking. They only hide from the notice of the herd because of the Volturi."

"But what are they fighting for?" Bella asked almost soundlessly. Her eyes were wide, her expression fearful at the nightmare my words were weaving.

I smiled humorlessly. "Remember the map with the red dots?"

She nodded.

"They fight for control of the thickest red.

"You see, it occurred to someone once that, if he were the only vampire in, let's say Mexico City, well then, he could feed every night, twice, three times, and no one would ever notice. He plotted ways to get rid of the competition.

"Others had the same idea. Some came up with more effective tactics than others.

"But the most effective tactic was invented by a fairly young vampire named Benito. The first anyone had ever heard of him, he came down from somewhere north of Dallas and massacred two small covens that shared the area near Houston. Two nights later, he took on the much stronger clan of allies that claimed Monterrey in northern Mexico. Again, he won."

"How did he win?" Bella asked, fascinated, yet wary.

"Benito had created an army of newborn vampires. He was the first to think of it, and, in the beginning, he was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile, wild, and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, taught to restrain himself, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They'll turn on each other as easily as the enemy you point them at. Benito had to keep making more as they fought amongst themselves, and as the covens he decimated took more than half his force down before they lost.

"You see, though newborns are dangerous, they are still possible to defeat if you know what you're doing. They are incredibly powerful physically, for the first year or so, and if they're allowed to bring their strength to bear they can crush an older vampire with ease. But they are slaves to their instincts, and thus predictable. Usually they have no skill in fighting, only muscle and ferocity. And in this case, overwhelming numbers.

"The vampires in southern Mexico realized what was coming for them, and the did the only thing they could think of to counteract Benito. They made armies of their own…

"All hell broke loose – and I mean that more literally than you can possibly imagine. We immortals have our histories, too, and this particular war will never be forgotten. Of course, it was not a good time to be human in Mexico, either.

"When the body count reached epidemic proportions – in fact, your histories blame a disease for the population slump – the Volturi finally stepped in."

Bella listened in horrified fascination as I described to her the clean-up the Volturi had undertaken across the South after that, destroying Benito and his army – as well as anyone associated with them. The tale of horror I'd heard from a witness to that particular bloodbath was enough to make my skin crawl.

I tried my hardest to keep my version edited for Bella's ears. She didn't need to hear all of that… and I knew Edward would hit the roof if I scared her more than necessary.

"It didn't take long before covens began to dispute again. There was a lot of bad blood, if you'll forgive the expression. Vendettas abounded. The idea of newborns was already there, and some were not able to resist. However, the Volturi had not been forgotten, and the southern covens were more careful this time. The newborns were selected from the human pool with more care, and given more training. They were used circumspectly, and the humans, remained, for the most part, oblivious. Their creators gave the Volturi no reason to return.

"The wars continued, but on a smaller scale. Every now and then, someone would go too far, speculation would begin in the human newspapers, and the Volturi would return and clean out the city. But they let the others, the careful ones continue…"

"That's how you were changed," Bella said in a whisper when my voice trailed off. I hadn't even realized I'd stopped speaking until she commented, lost inside the memories that suddenly flooded my mind.

"Yes."

And so I told her, baring a part of myself that only those closest to me – those I counted as my family – knew about me.

I told her about enlisting in the Confederate army when I was just sixteen and subsequently rising through the ranks.

I told her about the trip to Galveston. About how I left the city after dark. How Maria how found me there. How she'd taken my life and forcibly inducted me into her army.

I told her how, once there, I'd ascended the ranks yet again when Maria placed me in charge of her newborns. How, under my leadership, her army had risen to unparalleled strength and numbers. How we fought together to increase her territory. How, together, we were almost unstoppable.

I told her about how the constant death had worn on me until I had lost all desire to live… until the depression had overtaken my every thought. I told her about Peter and the unlikely friendship we'd formed – about how Peter and his Charlotte had eventually run away, finding a life in the North unlike any we'd ever known was possible.

I told her how they'd come back for me. How he'd convinced me with a single conversation to leave behind everything I'd ever known and go with him.

I told her how I'd walked away. How I'd traveled with Peter and Charlotte… eventually branching off to wander on my own. Restless. Unsatisfied. Looking for something that was always just out of reach.

"I was in Philadelphia," I continued, lost in the story. I felt my muscles relaxing now, though. The worst was over. This was the part of the story that I _enjoyed _telling.

"There was a storm, and I was out during the day – something I was not completely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, so I ducked into a little half-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty, and that worried me a little.

"She was there – expecting me, naturally." I chuckled once at the memory. I could still see her sitting there... that was the moment that my life had been irrevocably changed... whether I knew it at the time or not. "She hopped down from the high stool at the counter as soon as I walked in and came directly toward me.

"It shocked me," I recalled aloud, remembering the surprise I'd felt as I'd watched her smiling face approach – it had been like gazing into the sun for the first time after an eternity of darkness, blinding and brilliant.

"I was not sure if she meant to attack. That's the only interpretation of her behavior my past had to offer. But she was smiling. And the emotions emanating from her were like nothing I'd ever felt before.

"'You've kept me waiting a long time,' she said."

"And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, 'I'm sorry, ma'am.'" Alice had come to stand beside me now. She laughed fondly at the memory.

I smiled, meeting the warmth of her eyes. Now, just as then, everything else faded in importance when she was near. "You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing."

I reached for her hand now, taking it in mine... soft and small and warm. Her fingers fell naturally through the spaces between mine, fitting just as perfectly as it had the first time... like she'd been made for me.

"For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope."

Alice grinned, her fingers squeezing mine. "I was just relieved. I thought you were never going to show up."

Her eyes held mine, a wealth of love and memories evident in her gaze.

That was the simplified version of our story, at least. The one we told everyone else. The other details of that day, and the days that followed, Alice and I kept to ourselves. We knew Edward had seen fragments of them through the memories that we couldn't quite keep sequestered, but he didn't say anything, and we'd made great effort to keep those thoughts under wraps around him.

Finally, my mind returned to my immediate surroundings. I looked back at Bella, feeling the smile lingering on my lips. "Alice told me what she'd seen of Carlisle and his family. I could hardly believe that such an existence was possible. But Alice made me optimistic. So we went to find them."

"Scared the hell out of them, too," Edward interjected, rolling his eyes playfully at me before turning to Bella to explain. "Emmett and I were away hunting. Jasper shows up, covered in battle scars, towing this little freak – " he reached over and nudged Alice playfully – "who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to know which room she can move into."

Alice and I both laughed at his expression. We could smile at these memories now. Back then, it had been far too tense and uncertain a time for me to find any humor in it. How wrong I'd been then.

"When I got home," Edward continued, "all my things were in the garage."

"Your room had the best view," Alice shrugged. We all laughed together now.

"That's a nice story," Bella said with a happy sounding sigh. All three of us looked at her with raised eyebrows, questioning her sanity. "I meant the last part," she defended herself quickly. "The happy ending with Alice."

"Alice has made all the difference," I agreed, squeezing my beloved's hand again. "This is a climate I enjoy."

All was quiet for a moment, but the peaceful silence didn't last. "An army," Alice whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The others were intent again, listening now, their eyes locked on my face.

"I thought I must be interpreting it incorrectly. Because where is the motive? Why would someone create an army in Seattle? There is no history there, no vendetta. It makes no sense from a conquest standpoint, either; no one claims it. Nomads pass through, but there's no one to _fight_ for it. No one to defend it from.

"But I've seen this before, and there's no other explanation. There is an army of newborn vampires in Seattle. Fewer than twenty, I'd guess. The difficult part is that they are totally untrained. Whoever made them just set them loose. It will only get worse, and it won't be much longer till the Volturi step in. Actually, I'm surprised they've let this go on so long."

"What can we do?" Carlisle asked gravely.

"If we want to avoid the Volturi's involvement, we will have to destroy the newborns, and we will have to do it very soon." I could feel my face hardening in distaste at the idea. "I can teach you how. It won't be easy in the city. The young ones aren't concerned about secrecy, but we will have to be. It will limit us in ways that they are now. Maybe we can lure them out."

"Maybe we won't have to," Edward interjected, his voice bleak. "Does it occur to anyone else that the only possible threat in the area that would call for the creation of an army is... us?"

Carlisle's eyes widened in shock just as mine narrowed. Yes, I'd thought of that. Feared it actually. It seemed to be the only explanation that made sense. There wasn't anyone else around besides us that had a permanent residence anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.

"Tanya's family is also near," Esme pointed out slowly, not wanting to accept the theory Edward had presented.

"The newborns aren't ravaging Anchorage, Esme," Edward replied. "I think we have to consider the idea that _we_ are the targets."

"They're not coming after us," Alice insisted. She paused. "Or... they don't _know_ that they are. Not yet."

"What is that?" Edward asked, curious, his whole body tensing. "What are you remembering?"

"Flickers," Alice said absently, scanning through her memories. "I can't see a clear picture when I try to see what's going on, nothing concrete. But I've been getting these strange flashes. Not enough to make sense of. It's as if someone's changing their mind, moving from one course of action to another so quickly that I can't get a good view..."

"Indecision?" I asked. I couldn't see how that could be the case, though. An army wouldn't have been created without a clear purpose. But why else would Alice only be getting strange flickers?

"Not indecision," Edward growled suddenly. "_Knowledge_. Someone who knows you can't see anything until the decision is made. Someone who is hiding from us. Playing with the holes in your vision."

Alice's face paled even more, whiter than bone now. "Who would know that?" she whispered.

Edward's eyes were hard and angry. "Aro knows you as well as you know yourself."

"But I would see if they'd decided to come..."

"Unless they didn't want to get their hands dirty,"

"A favor," Rosalie said, involving herself in the conversation for the first time. "Someone in the South... someone who had trouble with the rules. Someone who should have been destroyed is offered a second chance – if they take care of one small problem... That would explain the Volturi's sluggish response."

There seemed to be a certain measure of validity in what she said, but, as I weighed it, I couldn't see that being the case. Yes, they were being uncharacteristically slow to take care of the threat, but did that necessarily incriminate them in it? I wasn't sure.

"Why?" Carlisle asked, still in shock. "There's no reason for the Volturi - "

"It was there," Edward disagreed quietly, interrupting him. "I'm surprised it's come to this so soon, because the other thoughts were stronger. In Aro's head he saw me at his one side and Alice at his other. The present and the future, virtual omniscience. The power of the idea intoxicated him."

I had to resist the urge to growl at his words. I knew Aro would consider Alice a prize – with her gift, any power-hungry individual would – but the very idea of it made me murderously angry.

My gift would be superfluous to them. They'd have no use for it, I knew that. But Alice? I'd considered that before. Would they want Alice so desperately that they'd remove anyone that stood in their way? The thought sickened me. But the reality was that it was all too possible.

"I would have thought it would take him much longer to give up on that plan – he wanted it too much," Edward continued. "But there was also the thought of you, Carlisle, of our family growing stronger and larger. The jealousy and the fear: you having... not _more_ than he had, but still, things that he wanted. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't hide it completely. The idea of rooting out the competition was there; besides their own, ours is the largest coven they've ever found."

Everyone stared at him in horror, not able to make our minds comprehend what he was saying. That was worse than any of us could have possibly thought to fear.

"They're too committed to their mission," Carlisle said, his voice horrorstruck. "They would never break the rules themselves. It goes against everything they've worked for."

"They'll clean up afterward. A double betrayal," Edward said grimly. "No harm done."

I couldn't see that. I just couldn't. Not from them. It went against everything they believed in.

I leaned forward, shaking my head. "No, Carlisle is right. The Volturi do not break the rules. And besides, it's much too sloppy. This... person, this threat – they don't have any idea what they're doing. A first-timer, I'd swear to it. I cannot believe the Volturi are involved. But they will be."

"Then let's go," Emmett almost roared, "What are we waiting for?"

I stared distantly out the window. He was right. Putting it off was an exercise in futility now. It had to be taken care of. And quickly. We couldn't wait any longer.

"We'll need you to teach us, Jasper," Carlisle addressed me tiredly. "How to destroy them." The pain in his voice was evident. He was eminently distressed that it had come to this after all.

"We're going to need help," I said. This wasn't something we could realistically undertake on our own. "Do you think Tanya's family would be willing...? Another five vampires would make an enormous difference. And then Kate and Eleazar would be especially advantageous to our side. It would be almost easy with their aid."

"We'll ask," Carlisle answered.

I reached into my pocket, feeling a sense of urgency now that our course was decided, and pulled out my cell phone for Carlisle. "We need to hurry."

It was strange to sense my father figure's deep-seated unease. He was always so unshakeable. Always our rock. But he was just as afraid as any of us now in the face of this threat.

He took the phone from me and paced to the window, placing his call. He stared out the window with a pained expression.

Edward took Bella's hand and led her to the loveseat as Carlisle and Tanya talked in quick, low tones. It didn't take long for the conversation to take a swift turn south. I stifled a groan and slid my eyes shut as I listened to their exchange.

"Damn it," Edward swore fervently, saying the very thing we were all feeling. "Damn Laurent to the deepest pit of hell where he belongs."

"There's no question of that," Carlisle responded to Tanya's outlandish request in a stern voice. "We have a truce. They haven't broken it, and neither will we… We'll just have to do our best alone."

Alone.

That word echoed through my mind over and over. It was a terrifying thought.

In some distant part of my mind I heard Edward explaining to Bella the outcome of the conversation – how Irina and Laurent had formed an attachment, and how Irina wanted revenge on the wolves for killing him before she'd be willing to offer her help. And with Irina taking that stance, that meant the rest of her family was siding with her.

We'd have no help from them.

_We were alone._

"This isn't good," I breathed after Carlisle had disconnected the call. "It's too even a fight. We'd have the upper hand in skill, but not numbers. We'd win, but at what price?"

We wouldn't all survive. Some of us would die. But who?

My eyes flashed to Alice's precious face and then away again. I couldn't finish that thought. I couldn't bear it.

Much later that night I'd holed myself away in my study, staring out the window as if all the answers to my problems could be found through the thin pane of glass.

The thoughts from before wouldn't leave me. I was incessantly plagued with images of my loved ones engaged in battle. And that was something that none of them had any familiarity with or knowledge of. As far as I was aware, none of them had ever fought before at all.

Rose and Edward both had a certain measure of violence in their histories, but violence against humans was no comparison for what we were all soon to face. It hadn't even the barest resemblance to a hand-to-hand combat with immortals. Humans couldn't fight back. There was no resistance to be offered.

The incident with James couldn't even be categorized as a fight either. He'd been sorely outnumbered. We'd been at no real risk.

Nothing any of them had seen or heard could possibly prepare them for the reality they would soon face if we couldn't find another solution.

I knew very well that I'd never be able to forget my past, but I'd made a conscious effort over the years _not_ to think about it. For the most part, I'd become pretty adept at relegating those dark memories to the far corners of my mind.

But I couldn't now.

All the battles, all the senseless carnage was screaming in vivid detail at the very forefront of my mind… too blatant to be ignored.

I could hear the battle cries as the two armies raced into the fray. I could hear the screams of pain as bodies were rent into pieces by destroying hands… the cries of agony from those watching as their mates were killed right before their eyes… too late to save them.

I could smell the smoke. My nostrils were filled with the thick odor of incense polluting the air as the bodies burned, disintegrating into ash.

With feet that felt like they'd been weighted with lead, I stumbled to the couch and buried my head in my hands. It didn't matter how many years separated me from that chapter of my past, for now, it was like I'd never left at all.

It had come back to haunt me.

I was right back in the midst of it all once again. Only this time, it wasn't the anonymous faces of the newborns I'd trained that flashed before my eyes. This time, it was the faces of my family.

Carlisle and Esme – by far two of the most kind-hearted and gentle people I'd ever known – crushed inside the bone-shattering grasp of a newborn.

Emmett – boyish, impulsive Emmett, who never showed an ounce of caution – losing his grasp of the situation for merely an instant, being consumed in a swarm of young immortals.

Rosalie – so unshakeable, yet fiercely protective of those she loved – overcome as she leapt in to save him… too late. Her cry of anguish transforming to one of pain… finally silenced altogether.

And Alice…

I was helpless against the shudder that wracked my entire body. I pressed the heels of my hands hard against my closed eyelids, desperate to make those images vanish… to wipe them from my mind. Before they had the chance to become reality.

I needed them to stop now… before I lost my mind.

If this fight were to come to fruition, not all of us would survive. Some of us would die. Who would we lose? And how were the rest of us supposed to go on?

It was unthinkable. It couldn't happen. It just couldn't. There had to be another way. A way for their lives to be spared. But how?

I twisted my brain, trying with all my might to come up with some other alternative. But what could we do?

A fight was unavoidable now. There was no way around it.

There was only one solution that I could think of, but the very idea of it made my skin crawl and bile rise up in my throat.

There was one person who could help. One person who had the numbers and the resources to render my loved ones involvement unnecessary.

Maria.

Everything in me rebelled at the idea of asking her for help. I'd truly hoped that I'd seen her for the last time. But if swallowing my pride would guarantee the safety of those I loved, was there really a decision to be made?

I didn't see how. That was a decision written in black and white.

I needed numbers. I needed a fighting force with experience. Maria had that.

I'd played that role opposite her countless times before in this theater of war. And our roles were ones we had down to perfection.

She had what I needed, and I'd bargain in whatever manner I had to in order to gain her agreement.

With the numbers she could provide, a victory was all but guaranteed. And the lives of those I loved would be spared. It wasn't ideal by any means, but it _was_ a solution.

From the ground level, I heard a breathless gasp that resembled a silent scream.

It came from Alice.

Like vines wrapping around my heart, I felt her absolute shock, her incredulity, and the horror that shook her to her very bones. It choked me. I knew exactly what she saw.

And it broke my heart into tiny fragments on the floor.

My eyes slid shut, a curtain falling over my emotions, blocking them… shutting them out.

I heard her on the stairs then, her steps angry and determined. "No, no, no!" she yelled, flinging the door open and storming into the room. She stopped right in front of me with her hands on her hips, fire flashing in her eyes. "Hell fucking no!"

There was a clamor in the hallway then as, simultaneously, everyone came running, their mouths gaping open in surprise as they took in the scene from the doorway.

They'd never, _ever_, heard Alice speak to me quite that way before. As a rule, the two of us were very private when it came to our disagreements – which, admittedly, were usually quite rare – so they were all stunned to silence by the vehemence of her reaction.

"Over my pile of ashes, Jasper Whitlock!" Alice yelled, inches from my face. "Over my pile of ashes will you _ever_ go crawling back to _that woman_ for help!" Her finger jabbed into my chest as her voice rose to a shrill pitch.

"You're not actually considering that, are you?" Edward chimed in from the doorway, his face aghast. "That's suicide."

"Considering what?" Esme's voice wavered as she looked between the three of us. "Jasper, what are you thinking?"

"He thinks," Alice spat, her eyes staying locked with mine, "that he's going to go groveling to Maria and ask for her help with the newborns."

A wave of shock coursed through each occupant of the room. But I didn't feel it. I knew it was there. I tasted it. My mind registered it. But it was like viewing it through someone else's eyes. I felt removed from it. Like a shield covered my emotions.

It had been years since I'd put that shield in place. I hadn't needed it. Not since Alice. Not since I'd chosen to live again… not since she'd made me believe that was possible.

But all of that was about to change.

"Jasper, no," Esme breathed, horrified.

"Are you crazy?" Rosalie turned sharply, gaping at me. "You actually think she'd be willing to help you after what happened when she came here before? She'd kill you before she'd even look at you."

"Maybe. Maybe not. That would depend on whether I played my cards right."

It was my voice. But it wasn't. It was distant. It was detached.

"What cards? Jasper, what the hell are you talking about?" Emmett asked, eyeing me like I'd suddenly lost my mind.

"You'd honestly go back?" Edward asked again. "Knowing what it did to you before, you'd actually consider going back?"

"No!" Alice repeated, shaking her head so hard it looked like it might fly off her neck. "You're not going back, Jasper. I won't let you! I'd die a thousand times over before I'd ever let her sink her hooks in you again. It's not going to happen! I won't let it happen!"

"It wouldn't even have to be Maria," the stranger's voice spoke again… the stranger that used to be me. "There are others out there… others that could help."

"But at what price, Jasper?" Carlisle turned to me, his ageless eyes seeing all the way to my soul… the soul that had suddenly grown cold.

"There is no cost because it's not an option," Alice insisted. In spite of the disparity in our height, Alice's anger seemed to make her tower over me. Her eyes shot daggers, the sheer force of her determination willing me to change my mind.

Remorse threatened. The desire to give in to her tickled at the edge of my consciousness. I always did what she needed me to do… because what she needed was _all_ I needed. Her happiness was mine.

Her life was the only thing that gave _my_ life any form of meaning. And that had to be protected at all costs.

She was all that mattered.

Slowly, I stood from the couch, raising myself to my full height. With a whisper of a touch, I caressed the soft skin of her cheek with the backs of my fingers. "If it means the difference between keeping you alive or letting you die, then I'll do whatever I have to do."

There was no cost too high for that.

The doubt, the confusion, the shock that everyone felt was like arrows threatening find a weak point in my defenses. I had to get out.

I knew what course I had to take, and I couldn't let anything deter me from that.

Without another word, I walked out the door, leaving the people that I loved speechless and stunned behind me.

And I felt nothing.

I couldn't let myself.

If I allowed myself to feel anything at all, _I would break_. 

* * *

*peeks around the corner* Is it safe to come out? What if I tell you that Chapter 9 is already well underway? And that I have a head start on Chapter 10? I'm trying my hardest not to keep you waiting too long for updates!

How quickly you review plays a large part in determining how quickly you get the next chapter, though… show me how badly you want it! :P And as an added incentive, I have an outtake that I'm offering to anyone who leaves me some lovin' on the chapter… provided of course that your PMs are enabled! LOL Wanna know what Alice saw? What exactly Jasper was planning? Then hit that review button!

Thanks so much for reading! Until next time…

Hugs,

Nik


	9. Chapter 9

I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again… you guys rock my socks off! The response the last chapter got had me grinning from ear to ear. Thanks again SO much to all of you who took the time to leave me your thoughts.

I know there were at least a few of you who got the outtake and had it screwed up by ffn (Grrrr!) and I apologize for that. I worked so hard to trim it down to fit inside the character limit… but who knew the title counted as part of that? Live and learn, I guess. *sigh* For any of you who didn't get the outtake last chapter and would like it this time, just let me know in your review, and I'll be glad to send it. (So long as you allow PMs. :)

One more thing before we get going. In this chapter, I refer heavily back to events that happened way back in _Awake and Alive_. If you've read it before, you'll probably recognize them. If not and you're curious what in the world I'm talking about, you know where to find the answers. ;)

And lastly, (I promise) this story _is_ rated M and it _does_ earn that rating in this chapter. And now that I've really lost your attention after that announcement, enjoy! :P 

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**Chapter 9**

**Alice**

***

I watched Jasper's retreating form, feeling as if my heart had simultaneously sank down to my feet and leapt up to lodge in my throat. My head felt as if it was spinning. I couldn't even put a name to everything I felt, my emotions were in such a raging turmoil.

He was serious.

He was actually serious.

He was actually planning to sell himself to buy our safety.

I'd seen it.

I'd seen him return to Texas… to Maria. I'd seen him offer her the chance to rebuild her territory if she'd provide us with the manpower to end our battle before our family even had to fight.

And, if she'd give him the chance to speak, I knew she'd actually consider his proposal.

Her empire had crumbled after Jasper left. And she'd do anything to get it back.

But even if she didn't, Jasper was right, there were others that wouldn't hesitate if presented with his offer.

Jasper had been hated by the Southern covens for his ability and his prowess on the battlefield… hated and revered in equal measure. There were plenty of Maria's enemies still alive that would jump at the chance to gain the upper hand over her.

And Jasper would provide just the leverage they needed to do that.

If his plan worked, not one of us would have to lift a finger to fight. It would be taken care of for us.

But, as Carlisle had asked, at what cost?

Jasper had barely escaped with his life the first time.

He would not a second time.

I had to stop him. But how?

I didn't stop to think about what I would say or what I was going to do to change his mind. My mind wasn't working that clearly, fueled by fear rather than reason. I fled out the door after him, leaving the rest of my family still standing in the hallway, wide-eyed and stunned.

"Jasper, wait," I called to his back in the distance. "Jasper, stop!" I yelled again when he neither turned around nor gave any indication that he'd heard me.

After I yelled his name a second time, he brought his steps to a halt but didn't turn around. I circled in front of him to find his eyes focused over my head. They were blank and expressionless.

Tendrils of fear curled in the pit of my stomach at that sight. I recognized these eyes. I'd seen them before… but not for a lifetime.

"Jasper, look at me," I pleaded almost soundlessly.

At my trembling request, his eyes turned downwards. But, instead of looking _at_ me, his vacant eyes seemed to look right through me. Almost like he didn't see me at all.

My stomach churned violently, the acid taste of bile rising in my throat. Immediately, I was transported back six decades… back to a misty afternoon in the outskirts of Philadelphia… an evening under the sunset on the coast of Maine… days and days of silent wandering alongside a man whom I'd loved since the first moment of my existence… a man who looked at me but didn't see me… a man who walked by my side yet wasn't truly _with_ me at all.

A man who'd built walls around himself that were impossible to scale.

A man who refused to feel.

The eyes that looked back at me now were those of a stranger… yet chillingly, _frighteningly_ familiar all the same. They were the eyes of the man who'd fought my love at every turn all those long years ago, afraid to let anyone that close.

"Jasper, talk to me, please." I hated that my voice sounded as shaky as it did. It sounded weak. I felt unsure of my footing with him for the first time in years. Like the foundation of my entire world was rocking under my feet, threatening to cave in altogether.

And if it did, it would destroy me.

"There isn't anything to discuss, Alice." His voice was final… and flat. Devoid of any and all emotion.

"There's everything to discuss!" I protested, growing desperate. "I want to know what could possibly be going through your mind right now. This is insanity, Jasper. You have to see that."

He said nothing… like I hadn't spoken at all. He shook his head. And turned away from me.

"Stop!" I grabbed his arm. My fingers grasped his forearm with every ounce of strength I possessed. Yet next to him, my strength was nothing. He was bigger, he was stronger, and he could break out of my hold effortlessly if he wanted.

There was no way I could possibly hold him if he was determined to leave.

And that thought terrified me.

I could lose him. I could so very easily lose him.

Beneath my feet, I could feel my foundation beginning to crumble. That had always been the one thing I was sure of. I had known, in the very deepest part of my heart, that Jasper would never, ever leave me. Even when everything else was uncertain, I knew I could always count on him to be here with me… no matter what.

_This_ was something far more terrifying than anything my imagination could have ever conjured up.

"Jasper, stop it! Stop being stubborn about this. We need to talk."

He didn't reply. His other hand reached for my wrist and pried my fingers from his arm. Averting his eyes, he shrugged out of my hold with an ease that terrified me.

"Don't you walk away from me, Jasper. Don't you dare!" My voice held a distinct note of hysteria that I couldn't control. I'd never felt a fear like this before.

His eyes, empty and unblinking, focused again on something far off in the distance. His face was set. And completely, utterly unreadable.

The cold, emotionless veneer that I'd grown to despise so many years ago, when I'd first known him, was firmly in place over his features now.

"You're not going anywhere, Jasper," I stated, trying my hardest to infuse the words with steel. I had to change his mind, whatever it took. And the longer we stood here, the more terrified I became that, this time, there was a very distinct possibility I might not be able to sway him. He was impossibly stubborn when his mind was made up.

"I'm not letting you leave me. Not for any reason. No matter how noble you think you're being. We'll find another way, Jasper, but this isn't an option."

Not a muscle in his entire body moved. He was made of stone. Not even breathing.

He was lifeless. Only the shell of himself remained.

He'd shut down. Preparing himself mentally, physically, emotionally for his descent back to hell.

"If you thought for even a minute that I'd let you walk away, then you're crazy," my voice trembled. "If you try, I'll follow you. I'll be only a single step behind you wherever you go.

"If you go back to Maria, then I'll be right there with you. I'm a good fighter, Jasper. As good as you. You've made sure of that. And when she finds out that I can see the future?"

"She won't find out," he finally spoke, but it didn't even sound like him. The voice belonged to someone else. It was distant… mechanical almost. "Because you're not going."

"Try to stop me," I dared him with narrowed eyes.

He didn't even blink. There was no sign whatsoever that he'd heard me.

I didn't remember what it felt like to dream as a human, but now I knew how it was to want desperately to wake from a nightmare yet not be able to. I shook my head violently, trying to jar myself from the sight in front of me… trying to wake and find that all of this was only a product of my imagination.

But it wasn't. This was real.

Sobs bubbled up in my chest, choking off my air. "You can't do this, Jasper. You promised me," I cried in a broken voice. "You promised me that you'd never leave me.

"You promised me that you'd always be here… that I'd never have to live without you again." The sobs that had been expanding in my lungs finally broke free, ripping through my chest. My whole body trembled like a leaf in the wind, battered without mercy.

"You promised you'd never hurt me," I reminded him, pleading shamelessly now for him to return to reason and abandon this madness. "Jasper, you promised that I'd never be alone again.

"If you walk away now, you make a lie of everything you've ever said… every promise you've ever given me. Don't do this, Jasper, please."

I couldn't tell if anything I said registered with him. He still wore the face of the stranger. The man I loved didn't seem anywhere to be found.

Sobs gripped my chest, strangling me until I couldn't breathe. Wild desperation choked me.

Fear – deep, agonizing fear – made it impossible to think. It stripped away all reason. It cut my heart wide open, leaving it naked, and exposed… bleeding.

"Jasper, look at me," I begged, needing to see the eyes I loved, the eyes that knew me, looking back at me. "_Please_ look at me."

Nothing.

His face wasn't cold. It wasn't hardened. It wasn't angry or even determined. It was just empty.

It was blank.

It was the face of the stranger that had stolen my husband.

I heard the sound of flesh striking flesh, felt the sting against my palm, saw Jasper's face turn sharply to the side with the force of the blow before I realized what I'd done.

I'd slapped him.

I stared at my hand like it belonged to someone else, barely able to comprehend what I'd done.

I'd never hit him before. And he'd never, ever raised his hand to me.

He blinked. Several times.

Shock overtook his face. But even that was a welcome change from the lifelessness of before. It was a sign of life if nothing else.

I hadn't intended to hit him, and, before now, I'd never have been able to make myself believe that I could do such a thing. But, seeing some spark of the man I recognized – even if it was hurt and surprise – return to his eyes, I couldn't make myself regret it altogether.

"Jasper, _please_ don't do this to me. You're breaking my heart," I admitted. The tears that my body couldn't produce gathered in my throat, constricting my voice. "And if you walk away, then you'll break _me_… please, _please_ don't do this. Don't leave me, Jasper. I can't survive without you."

As if in a daze, his hand slowly raised up, and the warmth of his palm cupped my cheek. A sob battered my whole body as relief at his touch coursed through me.

"Alice," his voice was a soundless whisper – but it carried the weight of a pain too deep to be borne. "Alice, I promised to protect you. I promised to keep you safe."

"Then stay with me," I begged, fisting my hands into the fabric of his shirt. "That's the only way you'll be able to keep that promise."

"I can't lose you," he breathed. "I'd rather die than lose you."

And in that whispered confession, I heard the fear that he'd kept so well suppressed. Fear that he'd be forced to watch me die… that he'd be unable to get to me in time if something went wrong. Fear that the odds would be too much for us to overcome.

"Then don't leave me. We'll find another way, Jasper. Just don't leave me."

The future he'd been planning had been sharply defined before, the details vivid and clear, so firm had his determination been to see it through. I'd seen him turning his back and walking away. I'd seen him with Maria, fighting at her side again. I'd seen the darkness return to his eyes. His soul swallowed in despair.

For a few moments, no matter how brief, I'd been once again plunged into the darkness that had been my life before I'd found him. The emptiness that had consumed me inside.

Only, this time, it was ten thousand times worse.

Now I knew what I'd been missing before. Now I knew how it felt to be complete. I knew how it felt to have him by my side, to be loved so measurelessly by him.

To go back to a life without him would have destroyed me as surely as surrendering my body to the flames.

Without him, I wasn't truly alive.

"You can't ever leave me, Jasper," I gasped around the sobs. "Ever. I need you."

His other hand reached up until my face was framed inside his touch. His fingers speared into my hair. I could feel the faint tremors in his hands, the cracking of the defenses he'd tried to put in place again. And that only made me weep harder.

The last wispy image of the nightmare I'd witnessed faded away into nothingness… like it really had been nothing more than a bad dream. And it was all over now.

"You have me," his voice trembled, a naked honesty there. "Alice, you have me. I won't go… I'm not going anywhere. I'm so sorry…" His words trailed off, his voice broken and gritty with pain. "I'm so sorry."

The sounds that tore from my chest were barely human as I surrendered to the sobs… there was no use fighting them anymore. His arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly like he feared I was going to be torn from his embrace at any moment. He whispered his apologies over and over into my hair, against my temple, my neck.

I felt out of control as the sobs wracked my body, terror turning into bone-melting relief and then morphing into blind fury. I pushed back from his hold, my fists flailing against him, pounding against his chest as I attempted to exorcise the fear that had saturated every cell of my being.

He didn't fight me. He didn't try to stop me, though he easily could have restrained me if he'd wanted. He stood there and let me work out my impotent rage on him.

"How could you do that to me?" I screamed, knowing I should stop, but not quite able to control myself enough to. "How could you even _think_ about leaving? Don't you have any idea what that would do to me? Didn't you care at all how I would feel watching you walk away?"

"I know," he soothed me, his voice rough under the strain of his conflicted emotions. "I know, darlin. I was wrong… I was so wrong. I'm sorry."

I could hear the broken repentance in his words, and I knew the danger had passed. But that didn't bring me any closer to sanity. I was much too far gone, reduced to sensation… controlled by my emotions.

And my emotions demanded that I be closer to him _now_. I needed to know, to be assured in a tactile manner that he was here… that he was mine. That nothing had changed.

My fingers reached up, locking in his hair as I forced his mouth down to mine, taking it without preamble. He didn't protest in the slightest. His arms tightened around me, bringing me even closer. But it wasn't enough. With the difference in our height, he was still too far away.

I didn't think, my hands shoved against his chest and we both went tumbling to the ground. He kept his arms wrapped around my waist, holding me above him so that he took the brunt of the fall.

As soon as we landed, I clambered onto his chest, straddling my knees on either side of his waist. My fingers resumed their hold in his hair, my nails scraping against his scalp. His mouth was just as needy and demanding as mine. His hands gripped my hips with a hold that would have left bruises had I been human.

Our kiss was fueled by desperation, and raging need that overruled everything else.

I was past all rational thought as my hands raked down his chest, angry at the fabric that hid him from me. A quick twist of my wrist and it was gone, warm skin and hard muscle waiting under my fingertips.

His fingers were making quick work of the buttons on my shirt as well, but it wasn't quick enough for me. I tried brushing his hands out of the way, wanting those hands on my bare skin not hindered by fabric. But that was when he did stop me.

His hands caught mine, holding my wrists captive in one hand as he went back to work on the buttons with the other. I tugged against his hold, but he wouldn't relent. He held fast.

A tug of his fingers severed my bra. The cups fell open and his mouth latched onto my breast. I felt the scrape of his teeth behind the softness of his lips, the probing and flicking of his tongue… the heated suction of his mouth.

My senses flew into overdrive, my back arching with a strangled cry, forcing him closer. This time when I tugged against his grasp, he released me. His hands impatiently shoved the loose fabric from my shoulders and down my arms.

The rest of our clothes melted away under relentless hands. There was an urgency that consumed us both, a wildness that we couldn't quite control.

I didn't wait – I couldn't wait – when the last of our clothes had been scattered recklessly over the ground, I raised myself over him, aligning our bodies and sank over him with a quick downward thrust of my hips.

His body surged against mine, sending him deeper still. A low, steady stream of curses left his lips interspersed with my name. The pace we set was punishing and hard, taking from each other, exorcising the fear that had nearly pulled us both apart.

His hands dug into my hips, pulling me down harder and faster. The way he filled and stretched me was almost too much. But at the same time it wasn't enough.

I needed this.

I needed him like this.

I watched him fall apart beneath me, reveled in the roar that left his lips when his completion pulled him under. I was right behind him, following with a high, keening cry.

Even before I'd had a chance to reorient myself, he'd flipped us over without severing our connection. My body was stretched out beneath him now, receiving each drive of his hips with whimpers that were torn from my throat.

He stretched out my arms above my head and held them there in one hand, rendering me helpless, writhing beneath him.

I couldn't catch my breath. Pinpoints of light exploded behind my eyelids, heat bloomed under my skin. He manipulated me with his hands, his lips, his body… even the words he whispered low and rough in my ear.

I couldn't fight the riptide of pleasure that flooded over my head. I was drowning in it. All I could do was surrender, letting it lead me where it would.

Jasper never let up, not giving me a chance to recover before the motions of his body sent me under again. My mouth was open yet soundless. I couldn't do anything but feel.

One current of rapture led to another until my body blazed with it. Nothing else existed outside of sensation.

Finally, moments, hours… days… perhaps an eternity later… I didn't know, I felt Jasper's body shudder over mine. One final blaze of heat scorched my flesh, and then we collapsed together in a gasping, panting tangle of limbs.

Jasper rolled to the side, his muscles still quivering, and tucked me against him. My arms and legs wrapped around him, not willing that even a breath of space should separate us. We just lay there together, letting our breathing regulate again, basking in the warmth that lingered in the aftermath of our passion.

Eventually, his arms tightened around me. I felt the brush of his lips against my forehead.

"I love you," he whispered against my skin, "more than anything in this world. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I've never doubted that," I assured him, snuggling closer. "But I still think you're a fool sometimes."

He snorted, masking a chuckle. "A fool for you," he corrected, cupping his palm around my cheek, raising my face to his. "A love-sick fool who would stop at nothing to keep you safe."

His eyes were deep and clear, shining with the depth of his love. It made my heart twist.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," I whispered, finding my voice choked. "Don't you ever try to leave me again. For any reason. I don't care what happens, there's nothing we can't face together."

"You're right," he said, the pad of his thumb stroking a gentle path over my cheekbone. "And I'm sorry. But you know it was motivated out of love for you. The world means nothing to me if you're not in it… safe and whole."

I sighed heavily, trying to resist the urge to roll my eyes at him. "Jasper, did you really think for even a second that I could ever be safe and whole without you? You know better." He didn't reply, just pulled me closer still and pressed his lips to my hair.

"And that's another thing," I said with a stern voice, pulling back so that he couldn't avoid my eyes, "don't you ever close yourself off from me again. Don't you ever shut me out like you did earlier. Do you have any idea what that did to me? Could you not feel how that broke my heart?"

Sadness dimmed his eyes… sadness and regret. "I'm so sorry."

I sighed. I'd heard that enough tonight to last me a lifetime. "I don't want your apologies, Jasper. I want you to promise that you'll never put me through that again. I can endure many things. But having you pull away – and look at me like you don't even know me – that's more than I can take. Promise me," I whispered, not releasing his eyes from my gaze.

"I promise," he replied, immediate and sincere. "Never again, Alice… never again."

I sighed in relief, releasing the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, and nuzzled my face into his chest. "Thank you," I whispered, pressing a kiss over his heart.

We lay there in silence yet again. And it was some time later that I felt the quiet rumble of Jasper's chuckle.

"What's funny?" I asked lazily, not willing to move yet. I was comfortable and warm inside his arms.

"You do realize that we have a little bit of a problem now, don't you?"

My forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What problem?"

His eyes were dancing with amusement as he reached behind his back for something. I didn't recognize what he held at first until he opened his fist and let the contents rain onto the seam where our bodies were still pressed together.

"Oh," I gasped, a rush of heat flooding my cheeks as I realized what it was. His shirt… or what was left of it.

Tentatively, I peered over his shoulder to see that his pants were in much the same state. They resembled confetti more than clothing now.

"I didn't realize…" I stammered. "I wasn't thinking…"

Jasper's eyes glinted wickedly. He pressed his lips quickly, firmly to mine, cutting off my broken words. "Did you hear me complaining?"

If I could have blushed, my face would have been fiery red. Jasper laughed and kissed me once again before untangling himself from our mass of limbs. With a roguish wink, he gathered my clothes and passed them to me.

I was admittedly a little stunned to see that, aside from a single missing button, they were still in one piece.

"I'm glad one of us kept our heads," I muttered, slipping back into my clothes.

"Well," Jasper drawled, grinning wickedly, "for the most part." My mangled bra hung from his fingers.

"Rake," I said, buttoning myself up and snatching it out of his hand.

He didn't even bother to deny it.

"I'll be right back," I told him, getting to my feet.

"I'll be here," he teased.

With that, I raced home and climbed into our room from the window. I could hear the others paired off in their rooms, their voices carrying in quiet conversation. I was grateful that they were paying me no mind.

I was only half paying attention as I snatched up a change of clothes for myself, throwing my dress on over my head quickly and leaving my dirty clothes in a heap on the floor. I'd take care of them when I got back.

I darted to Jasper's side of the closet next and grabbed a change of clothes to take back to him. I was glad now that he'd had the presence of mind that I hadn't to not rip my clothes beyond repair. We would have been in an embarrassing predicament if he had.

I hadn't been thinking at all. The only thought I had was to get him as close as possible as quickly as I could. Nothing else had mattered to me except that.

I'd been gone just under two minutes by the time I jumped back out the window and raced back in the direction I'd just come from.

Jasper was sitting right where I left him, his back resting against a tree trunk, his knees drawn up. His face was more peaceful now, his posture relaxed. The moon filtered down through the clouds, illuminating him with a soft glow. My heart clenched inside my chest at the sight of him. The love I felt for him was overwhelming. Almost painful it was so strong… so deep.

The magnitude of the love I had for him would have been frightening if I hadn't known that he loved me just as much in return. It was a vulnerable kind of feeling loving him as terribly as I did. He was my entire life. And I was absolutely nothing without him. Less than nothing.

But knowing that he felt the exact same way about me, it was freeing. There was a security in loving so completely and knowing that it was returned in full measure. Knowing that, no matter what life threw our way, that was one thing that nothing could ever possibly change.

He turned to me then, a soft, loving smile on his lips, warming his eyes. He held out his hand to me, and, without so much as a conscious thought, I went. He took my outstretched hand when I was close enough and drew me down to his lap. His arms, his scent, his warmth, enveloped me.

In such direct contrast to the raw need we'd felt before, peace wrapped around us now. The calm after the storm.

I rested my head in the curve of his neck and simply breathed him in. 

* * *

**Jasper**

***

Alice's body draped comfortably over mine. She was warm and soft in my arms, the sweet smell of her skin enveloped my senses. I'd felt the tidal wave of her love as it swept over her when she returned. It was so strong it almost left me dazed.

After all this time, I still didn't quite comprehend how someone as innately good as Alice could love me as deeply as she did. It confounded me.

I didn't deserve it. But I returned it. Eagerly. Willingly.

Never had I ever imagined myself capable of such a depth of emotion. But Alice drew it effortlessly from me. Further proof that my heart had been fashioned, even from the beginning of my life, specifically and solely to love her.

If anyone deserved love, it was her.

I was still fearful of what our future might hold, but I knew I couldn't leave her. Not for any reason. She was right… I'd promised.

I didn't know what would happen when we faced the army, I only knew that whatever happened, we'd face it together. I'd spend my last breath to protect her, but come what may, I'd be at her side through it all.

Her breath fanned over my chest, even and deep. I felt the brush of her eyelashes on my neck, tickling at my skin.

I breathed her in, filling my lungs with her fragrance. Oxygen wasn't necessary to me, but her scent… I wasn't entirely sure I could survive without that.

Cradling her chin with my hand, I lifted her face up so that I could feather kisses over the soft skin. She sought out my lips with hers. Our lips moved together, languid and slow now as if we had all the time in the world.

Minutes passed without our notice. The passage of time didn't matter.

Finally, I broke away, exploring her neck and her throat with my lips and tongue. When I shifted her in my arms so that so was facing me with her legs straddling my waist, she complied easily. Her back rested against my thighs, her neck arched to offer herself for my caresses.

I slid the straps of her dress down over her shoulders, worshipping the milky white flesh that was revealed when the fabric pooled at her waist. Her breaths grew shallow, her eyes glazed over as she gave herself over to the desire that rippled through her body.

I watched her with a sense of awe. Her body was so responsive to my every touch, always receptive and eager. It was a heady feeling to watch her face as I worked my hands and my mouth over the sensitive places of her body. It was intoxicating to see that and know that I was the one putting that look on her face. I was the one giving her pleasure.

She'd never known any touch but mine.

And my touch was the only one she wanted.

She uttered no sound of protest when I slipped aside the flimsy fabric that separated her body from mine. Her only sound was that of encouragement and bliss as I slid inside of her once again.

I reveled in the sweet sounds that escaped her throat with the rise and fall of her hips, the tensing and spasming of her muscles as she surrendered to the bliss coaxing her flesh. Her body sheathed mine in warm, slick silk, her inner muscles gripping me as the waves of her climax slowly overtook her.

Through it all, I watched her face, holding my own completion at bay until I could prolong it no more. Gripping her hips tightly, burying my face in her neck, I surrendered to the currents of bliss, letting it take me under.

Alice's body slumped bonelessly against mine when the waves abated. We held each other as our breathing returned to normal once again. I didn't know whether it had been minutes or hours by the time we finally untangled ourselves from each other. We couldn't delay returning home any longer.

Alice handed me the clothes she'd brought for me and righted her dress as I slipped into them. We didn't speak. There really wasn't anything else that needed to be said. Instead, she simply slid her hand into mine as we made our way back home.

Soundlessly, we slipped back into the house. Without even discussing it, we made our way to the bathroom. Alice kept her hand in mine as I turned on the water in the shower. We said not a word as we slowly undressed each other and stepped under the warm spray.

We washed each other gently, bathing away the dirt that clung to our skin from the night before. I kneaded my fingers into her hair, ridding her of the bits of grass and leaves tangled there. And then I knelt onto the tile floor, pressing a kiss to her soft, flat stomach, so that she could do the same for me.

There was nothing provocative in the way we bathed each other. Instead, each touch was tender and slow… intended to love and nurture rather than incite to passion.

When we'd finished, we took the thick white towels that hung on the rack and slowly blotted up the beads of moisture on each other's body. Alice picked up the shirt and pants she'd left strewn on the floor earlier, and we both changed into clean, dry clothes.

We'd been home for the better part of an hour before our family acknowledged that we were back. It was Carlisle who called for us first.

"Jasper, Alice, could you come downstairs please." His voice was quiet, conversational, but we heard him easily of course.

Still clasping my fingers, Alice all but led me down the stairs. I didn't sense any negativity from any member of my family, but I was strangely averse to facing them at the moment. I couldn't really explain why that was, but it was true.

They were all standing in the living room when we descended the stairs, waiting for us. Alice released my hand with a slight squeeze just as Rosalie stepped forward. Rose didn't say a word, instead her fist connected hard with my shoulder.

"Rose? What the hell?" I exclaimed in shock, my hand rising instinctively to rub at the spot she'd just hit. It didn't hurt any more than when Alice had slapped me earlier, but it shocked me. I hadn't been remotely prepared for either one.

I saw Emmett's fist coming towards me just then as well and dodged it easily, stepping out of the way. "So help me, Emmett, if you hit me too, I'll put you on your ass," I warned. He just snorted.

A quick glance at Alice told me she was fighting a smug grin. Apparently, she thought I more than deserved this.

"Seriously, Jasper, _what_ was that earlier?" Rose glared at me. "Do you really have no more faith in us than that?"

Behind her outermost layer of anger, I felt something else… hurt, almost. Her question caught me off guard, though. That was perhaps the last thing I would have expected to hear from her. What did protecting them have to do with not having any faith in them?

"What are you talking about?"

"You'd really rather place your faith in newborns than in your own family? You honestly don't think we can handle this on our own?"

"That doesn't have a damn thing to do with it, Rose, and you know it."

"Do I?" she persisted stubbornly, her arms crossed over her chest.

I glanced around at the other members of our family, all of them eyeing me with the same expectation I saw in Rosalie's eyes… waiting for my response.

"It has nothing to do with not having faith in you. But it has everything to do with not wanting to see you get hurt.

"You haven't seen what I've seen – not any of you," I said, glancing around the room at each member of my family. "You don't know what it's like to experience that kind of brutality firsthand. Killing a human is nothing next to the devastating kind of slaughter that this is going to be… or has the potential to be.

"Nothing in your wildest imagination could possibly prepare you for something like this. It's ruthless, it's grisly, and all it takes is a split second for your entire world to fall apart.

"Do you really think I want to see that happen if there's anything at all in my power that I can do to stop it?"

"But that's just the thing," Edward interjected, stepping forward, "there _is_ something you can do… there's a lot you can do, actually. You can teach us what you know. You can train us how to fight. We need you to prepare us. Because, you're right, we've never experienced any of this before.

"But it's different this time, Jasper. This time it isn't _your_ fight, it's _our_ fight. And we're all in it together. No one is standing alone."

Another quick glance around the room showed me that everyone was nodding at Edward's words – even Carlisle and Esme were in agreement.

The thought of watching any one of them engaging in the type of battle that I carried in my memories was repugnant. I couldn't reconcile the notion of my family, who had worked so hard to distance themselves from any form of violence, even participating in that kind of fight. It simply didn't fit.

But what choice did we have?

"I know a few people who might be willing to help if we can reach them in time," Carlisle said when I remained silent.

I nodded absently. "Anything we can do to tip the scale in our favor is a good thing at this point. I'll see if I can get in touch with Peter and Charlotte." Having even just the two of them here to help would ease my mind a great deal.

"So, you'll teach us, then?" Edward asked, eyeing me expectantly.

I could feel six pairs of eyes on me as I let the thought of that sink in… removing my father, my mother, my brothers and sister from the environment of peace they'd tried so hard to maintain, training them to fight, to destroy and to kill, watching them walk right into a fight… seeing them tainted with shades of my past.

I didn't like it.

But what choice did I have?

"Jasper?" Alice's quiet voice prompted me.

"I will," I agreed almost inaudibly.

If they were determined to fight, then it was vital that they know exactly what they were up against – that they were as prepared as they could possibly be. And, no matter how little I liked the thought of it, I knew that was a task I was more than capable of fulfilling.

"All right, then," Carlisle said, nodding. "We'll need to start soon."

I nodded my head once in acknowledgment. "Just tell me when you're ready."

"We can discuss that more later. It doesn't have to be decided right now." Carlisle said, leaving it at that. He knew I didn't really want to pursue it any further right at the moment. I still needed some time to reconcile my mind to the idea.

Carlisle smiled sedately and clapped my shoulder. This wasn't the first time I found myself grateful for his understanding nature, and I was certain it wouldn't be the last.

He slipped from the room after that, the others following behind him one by one. And as everyone else filed away, Esme stepped in front of me. "You made the right decision," she said softly. "We need the preparation, and there's no better teacher we could have than you.

"But you should know one thing," her voice lowered, her eyes narrowing playfully, though I thought I saw a hint of sincerity there. "If you ever try to take one of my children from me again…" her words trailed off. One hand raised up to cup my cheek, "I might have to take a swing at you myself."

I chuckled under my breath at the idea. "Yes, ma'am."

She just smiled in her perfectly maternal way, patting my left cheek and standing on tiptoe to kiss the right. With that, she was gone.

And I was left alone to ponder the task I'd just agreed to undertake. 

* * *

***

It's been so long since I had a song recommendation, that I forgot to mention it last time. The song that I listened to on continual repeat in the writing of these past two chapters is _Hurricane_ by 30 Seconds to Mars. If you've never heard it before, I'd really encourage you to look it up. It was hugely influential here and captured the tone of the chapters beautifully.

Reviewers get a teaser of Chapter 10… which is roughly 4000 words as of now. Shouldn't be too long before you see it! Hit that review button and help keep me writing! :D

Hugs,

Nik


	10. Chapter 10

I'd hoped to have this up before now, but real life interfered… again. A great big thank you to every last one of you that read, reviewed, messaged, etc., these last two chapters. I was very nervous as to how they would be received, but, as usual, you all put those nerves to rest in no time. :)

Koko23cat, I know you've been waiting for this one… with your favorite Jasper moment from the books. I hope it did it justice!

PixieCullen88, I hope you know how much I adore you. You're always there to lift me up when I'm down and the shoulder to cry on when I need it.

And, my sweet Maciena, this one is for you. You've been with me from the very beginning and always have a word of encouragement when I need it the most. I can't imagine this ride without you with me. Love you much!

Enough with the mushy stuff. On with the chapter now… enjoy! 

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Jasper**

I took my seat between Esme and Emmett, feeling the buzzing of excitement and anticipation that filled the auditorium. It had been some time since I'd been around a crowd of humans as large as this. My throat burned, of course, but it was surprisingly bearable. Much easier to ignore than I'd thought it would be.

Graduations were actually one gathering that I enjoyed to a certain extent. The tenor of the emotional atmosphere was a current of mostly positive energy. There was a level of nervousness – mostly from the graduates themselves, but at times from the parents as well.

There was always a level of poignancy and reflection. But mostly there was excitement… relief. At times outright jubilation. It was a celebration, and I did enjoy soaking that in.

Strains of pomp and circumstance began playing, and the graduates began filing in down the center aisle. My eyes scanned the line quickly, looking automatically for Alice. I was immediately concerned when I didn't see her.

Edward was there, paces behind where Alice should be. I could sense confusion from him, and, of all the emotions that I might have anticipated, that wasn't one of them.

Bella filed in just moments after him, towards the end of the line. Her face was blank. Too blank. Beneath her calm exterior, her emotions were in a turmoil. But mainly, she was scared. And I knew her fear had nothing to do with graduation.

Something had happened. Something Alice had seen and Bella knew. Something they were keeping from Edward. That was the only explanation. But what could it be?

Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett glanced over at each other as we all noted Alice's absence. They were surprised but I seemed to be the only one who was actually worried by it. For now at least.

I had to talk myself down from getting out of my seat to search for her. To find her and demand that she tell me what she knew. Something new had transpired, and I needed to know what it was… and that she was safe.

The graduates' speeches droned on and on. And I didn't hear a word.

I'd heard these speeches a thousand times over. They were all the same. Endings and beginnings. The close of one chapter of life and the start of another.

The words ran senselessly together. I was much too absorbed worrying over Alice and watching my brother and Bella.

Edward kept glancing repeatedly in her direction, trying hard to hide his worry. But she wouldn't meet his eyes. Her face was much too vacant.

The speeches finally ended and the diplomas were presented. Names were called and the graduates filed across the stage.

I was relieved when I saw Alice glide across the stage when her name was called, appearing like she'd been there all along. But the relief lasted only a split second. Until I saw her face.

She was concentrating on something, her face a mask of deep absorption. Her emotions were carefully blank.

Oblivious to the turmoil simmering under the surface, Emmett shook the roof with his deafening whistle which lasted from the time Alice's name was called until Edward left the stage behind her. Any other time, the antic was amusing. Not this time.

Alice disappeared yet again when she had her diploma in hand. And again, I had to resist the urge to get up and follow her.

After what seemed an eternity, the diplomas were all distributed and the ceremony was brought to a conclusion. The tassels were turned and a deafening roar sounded from the graduates and their families alike.

The procession out the door seemed to take twice as long as it had coming in. I was antsy to get out. I darted from my seat as soon as the graduates were out, slipping away to hunt Alice down. Her scent led back toward the house. I didn't wait for the others before I followed after her.

She was already home by the time I caught up to her. I found her in our room, slipping out of the dress she'd worn for graduation, draping it over her yellow gown on the foot of the bed.

"What happened?" I asked, stepping immediately to her and cupping her face in my hands.

Alice shook her head, standing on tip-toe to press a soft, fleeting kiss to my lips. "Not now," she said quietly, slipping from my grasp. "Wait until the others get home. We'll talk then."

I eyed her worriedly, not appeased in the slightest by her answer.

"Everything is all right, Jasper," she assured me as she stepped inside our closet, swallowed up inside the massive space.

I sighed as she pulled out her party clothes, knowing I wasn't going to get anything more from her than that. I'd just have to be patient and trust her that it wasn't anything terribly pressing. She wouldn't keep it from me if it was of immediate concern.

"You look nice," I told her when she stepped out. She'd chosen red leather pants and a slinky sequined tank top for the occasion. The fabric hugged her body in all the right places. She was breathtaking as always.

Her face lit up in a genuinely excited smile. "You like it?" she asked, pirouetting in front of me.

"I do," I said, running my hands down her bare arms and slipping my fingers through hers. "Very sexy," I drawled, bending to kiss her temple. Instead, she stretched up and met my lips with hers.

"Glad you like it," she winked.

I followed behind her to the ground level. What was waiting for us there didn't even remotely resemble our house. Alice had thrown herself heart and soul into planning this party. I knew very well how helpless she'd felt with everything that was going on, and she'd poured all of that helpless frustration into one of the things she derived the greatest joy from… hence our home's transformation.

Alice piled strands of lights in her arms and carried them outside. Grabbing a bundle myself, I followed her. Together we wound the strands of lights around the trees that lined the driveway. It would be dark by the time guests started arriving, and the lights would serve as a guide to the house down the miles of winding pavement.

Alice's excitement was genuine by the time the others, minus Edward, arrived back home. She seemed to have put whatever had worried her earlier from her mind.

Her lips were pulled back in a grin as she handed Esme the bright yellow cap she'd worn at graduation. Esme already had Edward's in her hand, ready to add them to the huge, multicolored collage that hung at the top of the stairway.

Esme and Alice spent the next few hours in final preparation for the party. They finished decorating the house, and by the time they were done it was almost unrecognizable.

Alice was sorting through piles of CDs when Edward and Bella arrived.

"Ready to celebrate?" we heard Edward address Bella from the other side of the door.

Bella only response was a groan.

I heard the door then and the sound of their footsteps as they came inside.

"Unbelievable," Bella gasped, seeing Alice's decorations for the first time.

"Alice will be Alice," Edward said drily. That was really the only explanation for it. She was an unstoppable force of nature.

"Edward!" Alice called for him, ignoring their lack of enthusiasm for her efforts. "I need your advice. Should we give them familiar and comforting? Or educate their taste in music?"

"Keep it comforting," Edward recommended. "You can only lead the horse to water."

"I think I'm underdressed," Bella observed.

I could hear the smile in Edward's voice when he responded. "You're perfect."

"You'll do," Alice corrected.

"Thanks," Bella said with a sigh. "Do you really think people will come?" The hope on her voice was impossible to miss. It coated every word.

"Everyone will come," Edward answered her. "They're all dying to see the inside of the reclusive Cullens' mystery home."

"Fabulous," she moaned.

Edward chuckled under his breath. "Come on," he pulled her gently against his side, bringing her with him to seek me out.

"We need to talk," Edward addressed me gravely, all traces of teasing gone from his voice now.

Alice's hands stilled, but she quickly resumed her task. She was trying so hard to forget whatever it was that Edward needed to tell me and simply enjoy the party she'd so painstakingly planned.

Edward kept his arm around Bella as we made our way to Carlisle's office, matching our steps to Bella's slower human ones.

Carlisle was there waiting for us. "What happened?" he asked Edward, concern evident on his face.

"It's Victoria," Edward said simply.

There was complete and utter silence at that declaration.

I wondered absently if Bella even noticed that she automatically cringed into Edward's side at the mention of Victoria's name. Edward wrapped his arm tighter around her, tugging her closer.

"What about her?" I asked, feeling suddenly sick.

"She's the one behind the army," Edward told me, fighting hard to hide his fear from Bella. "The intruder wasn't looking for Bella. He was stealing her scent so others could track her. So the newborns would know who they were looking for."

"But if it's Victoria, wouldn't Alice have seen…?" I began.

Bella was the one to respond now, her voice dim and weak, trembling with fear. "She's hiding behind whoever this intruder is, not making those decisions because she knows Alice will be looking for her. The intruder, the army… they're her puppets, Jasper." Her voice was barely a whisper by the time she finished.

Processing this information, I turned, staring out the window, barely conscious of the cloud cover that hung low outside, bright with the colors of the sunset.

"That changes everything," Carlisle said, more disturbed than he was willing to admit.

"We have to go now," Edward spoke with a quiet urgency. "We can't afford to wait any longer."

"You're right," I agreed reluctantly.

There was no possible way around it now. Victoria wouldn't stop until she was dead… or Bella was. We had no choice. But that didn't change the odds.

There were still only seven of us and perhaps twenty of them, led by a crazed woman with a vendetta to avenge.

There was no good option or plan of attack. The odds were stacked much too high against us.

With great dread, Carlisle, Edward and I discussed strategy. I ran my hand over the back of my neck in frustration. I felt like I could claw right out of my skin.

Splitting up and dividing forces in Seattle wasn't an option. There weren't enough of us for that, and even with a certain level of training, I wasn't willing to let any of them go off without me. Too much could go wrong in a shockingly short amount of time.

Our numbers were too few as it was. To lower them further would be foolhardy.

We couldn't engage in a direct assault – again, there weren't enough of us, and we had to do our utmost to see that our secrecy remained intact.

Somehow we had to find a way to lure them out of the city. We threw options back and forth but none of them were truly viable.

We were backed into a corner. We had to act – and we had to do so quickly – but our options were dismal.

"A week," I said resignedly. "We'll give it a week. That will hopefully provide us with adequate time for training and to come up with a better plan of action."

Carlisle and Edward both nodded. I doubted that Bella had heard a single word that had just been spoken. She was obviously zoned out, overwhelmed.

"Guests are going to start arriving any moment now," Edward said quietly, "We should go downstairs." He pulled Bella a little closer to his side, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"Do we have to?" Bella muttered under her breath.

"I heard that!" Alice called from the first floor, loud enough for Bella to hear.

"It's better to just go along with it," Edward infused a lighthearted note of teasing into his voice that he didn't quite feel. "Alice may be small, but she's awfully scary when she wants to be."

Bella just grunted. Carlisle's mouth turned up in a half-hearted smile.

I couldn't see it, of course, but I could almost sense Alice rolling her eyes downstairs.

"Are you coming with us?" Carlisle inquired of me, pausing at the doorway after Edward and Bella had already left the room.

"I'll be there in a minute," I assured him. "You go on ahead."

"All right," he nodded in understanding. "Just join us when you're ready." With that, he was gone, leaving me to compose myself.

I needed a few minutes to myself to gather my thoughts. I had a sick feeling festering in the pit of my stomach. I'd gone over this problem from every possible angle, yet I was still no closer to finding a solution than I'd been when we'd first been made aware of it.

We were backed into a corner, and our opponents were closing in a little more each day. With our backs to the wall, we had no good way to fight back.

I didn't doubt that after some training we'd ultimately win, but there _would_ be casualties.

We'd win, but we'd lose, too.

Knowing that, and knowing there was no way to avoid it now, made me sick. I'd never felt so helpless in all my life.

The question was there, nagging constantly at the back of my mind… who would it be? Who would we lose?

The thought of losing any of them, no matter who it was, was unbearable.

In a week's time, what would our family look like? Who would still be alive?

Scrubbing my hand over my face, I attempted to bring my rioting thoughts under control. I only succeeded marginally.

When I finally went downstairs, the party was in full swing. The house, vibrating with the deep bass sound of the music, was packed from wall to wall with Forks High students and graduates.

They all seemed to be surprisingly relaxed in our home. There was little of the natural wariness and reservation that was instinctive around us.

My family members were all right in the thick of it. Carlisle and Esme were there, keeping an eye on things, appearing as relaxed as anyone. They were both naturally hospitable people, but opportunities to open their home like this didn't arise very often for obvious reasons.

There were tables set up in the dining room, loaded with food that Alice had catered. It must have tasted good to the humans, if how quickly it disappeared was any indication, but the odor to me hung heavy and unappetizing in the air.

Just as in the auditorium earlier, the scent of blood saturated every breath I took. I noticed it, of course – it was impossible not to – but, for once, it actually took second place in my thoughts.

I glanced around the room, taking note of where each of my loved ones stood mingling in the crowd. And a sharp pain pierced my heart. Which ones of them would be gone forever in a week?

I looked at all of them, their faces relaxed in simple enjoyment, and felt the urge to weep.

I wished that I had their ability to put these worries from my mind and enjoy the moment – even if it was only for appearance sake – but I couldn't.

Alice made the rounds through the crowded room, Bella at her side. I could hear the light, happy sound of her voice as she thanked everyone for coming, making small talk with them and trying to ensure that they were enjoying themselves.

She wasn't thinking about what was coming – she knew worrying about it didn't change anything – she was focused entirely on the moment, enjoying it fully. That was one of the qualities that I loved about her… and one that I envied.

It was later in the evening when, with no prior warning, I felt a surge of shock and horror emanating from Alice. It caught me completely off guard, saturating my every thought. Her wide, terrified eyes shot up to mine from across the room. Simultaneously, I saw Edward's back stiffen, his eyes darting over to us.

She'd seen something.

Edward dropped his arm from where it had rested around Bella's shoulders. "Stay here," he murmured close to her ear. "I'll be right back."

He slipped away, and, as one, we all filed up the stairs, trying to get away unnoticed by anyone else.

Alice shut the door to Carlisle's office behind her. Her eyes still held the same horrorstruck look they'd had downstairs.

"They're coming here." Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. "The army… they're coming to find us."

"What did you see, Alice?" I tried to keep my voice even, hiding the fear that was threatening. "Tell me exactly."

"It was clear as it could be this time. The decision has been made obviously. I saw the entire newborn army coming to Forks. One of them was carrying Bella's red shirt."

"How many?"

Alice's eyes grew unfocused as she immersed herself in the vision again. "Twenty-one. There's twenty-one of them right now."

"When are they coming?"It had never before been this hard to mask my fear behind a cool, businesslike demeanor.

"Four days from now. On Friday."

My stomach sank. That was it, then. Not even the full week we'd thought we'd have to prepare. The threat was upon us now, looming dark and ominous.

"I… that was all I saw," Alice said absently, her eyes troubled. Every ounce of the happiness she'd fought so hard for had vanished. She was scared now. Just like the rest of us.

She ghosted back down the stairs, Edward close behind her. There was nothing else to discuss… not for now at least.

I leaned my forehead against the glass window pane, staring at nothing. Hopelessness engulfed me like waves crashing over my head, pulling me under.

Four days. We had only four days before our entire world caved in around us.

Four days… and then nothing would ever be the same again.

It was only a few moments before I returned downstairs to rejoin my family, but it seemed so much longer. The sounds of the party were suffocating. I just couldn't stay.

The kitchen door beckoned as a welcome path of escape. And I took it.

I was surprised to see Edward there… even more surprised that I hadn't sensed him considering the raging state of his emotions. He was slumped on the bottom step with his head buried in his hands. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, his breaths coming in short shallow pants.

The emotions he'd kept so carefully contained were running rampant now, having boiled over. They were a mirror image of mine – the helplessness and fear that I'd been struggling with all evening.

But, of course, he'd heard my fears. He'd seen every image of death and destruction that had tortured my thoughts… and not just mine, but everyone else's as well.

Sinking down beside him, I laid my hand on his shoulder. I didn't say a word. It wouldn't do any good. Words of comfort were empty and meaningless.

We weren't all right. Nothing was okay, and we were facing destruction that would likely tear our family apart from its very roots. Words weren't going to change that.

"I just… needed a minute," Edward said in a shaking voice, not even looking up. "I didn't want her to see me like this… she's scared enough without watching me fall apart."

I didn't reply, just squeezed his shoulder in silent support.

"I just… I don't know…" He finally looked up, his eyes tormented. "_What are we going to do, Jasper?_" His tone was desperate, pleading for answers that I didn't have to give him.

"I don't know, Edward," I replied, hating the helplessness in my voice. "I wish I did… I wish to God I did."

Edward's eyes drifted off into the distance, his shoulders slumping even more.

Feeling like I was intruding on his privacy, I stood with a sigh. I almost expected my joints to creak when I stood. I felt old, my mental weariness so deep that it was almost physical. "I'll leave you alone, then."

"I'll be inside in a few minutes." His voice was almost inaudible.

As soon as I stepped reluctantly back into the house, a stench assaulted my nose. I'd only smelled it once before, but I would have recognized it anywhere.

It was the putrid stench of wolf.

Immediately, my guard flew up, going instinctively on the defensive. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. I scanned the room quickly, searching out where they were.

"Excuse me?" I heard Alice's irate voice exclaim. My blood ran cold as my eyes shot to her.

The sight before me had me seeing red, rage coursing through my veins.

I was going to kill him. 

* * *

**Alice**

The heat of Jacob Black's arm scorched me where it blocked me against the stairs. I was trapped.

I hadn't been pleased at all to find that he'd actually shown up at Bella's invitation – and with a posse, no less. He had gall coming here in the first place, but to stand there in my own home, blocking me so that I had no escape, demanding answers that I didn't owe him, I was livid.

I'd barely had time to form a complete thought, though, before Jasper was there. I'd only seen this level of fury on his face a few times before. It was a look of pure menace that would strike terror into the hardest of hearts.

I knew that he wouldn't hesitate to tear Jacob Black into bloody ribbons if he didn't move away from me – witnesses be damned. And it was obvious that Jacob knew it, too.

Jacob swallowed convulsively, fear seeping into his pores despite the brave face he tried to present. I could almost smell it.

Slowly, he lowered his arm back to his side. I didn't miss the fact that his arm was trembling… whether that was actually from fear or the desire to phase didn't matter. He was scared.

I permitted myself a moment of smug satisfaction at his response – and that of his sidekicks as well. It wasn't fair really. They were just boys, in spite of their size. Jasper was not. And he wasn't playing on their level He didn't operate that way. And he didn't fight fair… especially where I was concerned.

Jacob Black took a slow step back, eyeing Jasper like he was a snake waiting to strike – which he was, in a manner of speaking. "We have a right to know," he muttered sullenly even as he retreated.

They very second he moved, Jasper stepped between us, angling himself so that Bella and I were shielded behind his body. Jacob and his friends tensed, threatened.

"Hey, hey," Bella interjected, her voice slightly hysterical. "This is a party, remember?"

No one responded.

Jacob glowered at me while Jasper glared icily back at him. Neither of them were giving an inch.

Little as I wanted to admit it, Jacob was right. With the army coming to Forks, this did concern the Quileutes. They needed to be aware of the threat so that they could protect their people.

"It's okay, Jasper," I said, laying my hand on his back. "He actually has a point." Jasper didn't budge. But, then again, I hadn't really expected him to.

"What did you see, Alice?" Bella demanded, her voice still teetering on the edge of hysteria.

I eyed Jacob Black up and down for a moment more. I didn't like it, and I knew Jasper would like it even less, but with the threat so close to home now, we had no right to keep them in the dark.

"The decision's been made," I told her simply.

"You're going to Seattle?"

"No."

Every ounce of blood drained from Bella's face as she put the pieces together. Her skin was almost as pale as mine as she croaked out, "They're coming here."

"Yes."

"To Forks?" Her eyes were wide and horrified, no volume to her voice.

"Yes," I acknowledged again.

"For?" She already knew, she didn't really need me to answer that. If they were coming here, it was for one reason only.

"One carried your red shirt."

Bella's face was frozen in a mask of horror. The three werewolves watched our exchange with varying levels of confusion. And Jasper watched them, not bothering to hide his displeasure.

His face was tight with strain, eyes hard as he turned slightly to glance at us. "We can't let them come that far," he said curtly. "There aren't enough of us to protect the town."

"I know," I responded, feeling my earlier despondency crashing down around me again. "But it doesn't matter where we stop them. There still won't be enough of us, and some of them will come here to search."

"No!" Bella bit off in a strangled whisper. "Alice, I have to go, I have to get away from here."

"That won't help," I shook my head. "It's not like we're dealing with a tracker. They'll still come looking here first."

"Then I have to go meet them! If they find what they're looking for, maybe they'll go away and not hurt anyone else!"

"Bella!" I exclaimed, shocked that she even thought we'd consider that an option. It wasn't happening. No matter what.

"Hold it," Jacob said in a low, forceful voice. It wasn't a request, it was an order. And Jasper and I both bristled. If the mutt didn't watch it, he'd have both of us to contend with. And it wouldn't end well for him. "_What_ is coming?"

"Our kind," I told him, positive my voice couldn't have been any colder if I'd tried. "Lots of them."

"Why?"

"For Bella. That's all we know."

"There are too many of them for you?" he spat.

Jasper's eyes narrowed in indignation, his lips curling back in a snarl. "We have a few advantages, dog. It will be an even fight."

I made sure to keep my face smooth and even, nothing in my expression to contradict his words. It wasn't true, exactly, but I understood why he said it. And riling him right now was in no one's best interest.

"No," Jacob said, his lips turning up in a half smile as his eyes flickered between me and Jasper. "It won't be _even_."

The moment he said the words, everything in the near future was absorbed into complete blackness. And I'd never in all my life been so grateful to be blind.

"Excellent!" I hissed.

Jasper looked to me in confusion. When my eyes locked with his, wild with triumph, that was all he needed for understanding to dawn.

"Everything just disappeared, of course," I turned to Jacob with a smile of sudden comradeship. "That's inconvenient, but, all things considered, I'll take it."

"We'll have to coordinate," Jacob said. "It won't be easy for us. Still, this is our job more than yours."

There was a part of me that sorely wanted to snap at him for the condescension, but I refrained, forcing myself to be civil. "I wouldn't go that far, but we need the help. We aren't going to be picky," I couldn't resist throwing in at least a slight jab. I wasn't _that_ civil.

"Wait, wait, wait," Bella interrupted. "Coordinate?"

"You didn't honestly think you were going to keep us out of this?" Jacob asked her.

"You are staying out of this!" she insisted.

"Your psychic doesn't think so."

"Alice," she turned to me with desperate eyes, "tell them no! They'll get killed!"

"Bella," it wasn't easy to keep my voice soothing, but somehow I managed. "Separately we could all get killed," I reminded her. "Together – "

"It'll be no problem." Jacob laughed again.

"How many?" one of the others flanking Jacob asked.

"No!" Bella shouted again, her voice drowned out to human ears by the furious volume of the music.

I ignored her this time. "It changes – twenty-one today, but the numbers are going down."

"Why?" Jacob asked.

"Long story," I brushed him off. "And this isn't the place for it."

Everyone was still unaware of our altercation by the stairs, and that was nothing short of a small miracle. Thank goodness for dim lighting and thundering bass music.

"Later tonight?" Jacob pressed.

"Yes." Jasper was the one to answer this time. "We were already planning a… strategic meeting. If you're going to fight with us, you'll need some instruction."

The three young wolves all appeared disgruntled by that. But Jasper wasn't requesting, and his expression wasn't one to be argued with. There was no chance that he was going to allow a wild card in this fight. Somehow we'd all have to find a way to be on the same page, with the same agenda. No loose ends. Not as long as he was involved. That wasn't how he operated.

"No!" Bella moaned. But yet again, we all ignored her. She was just going to have to come to grips with it. This was how it was going to be.

"This will be odd," Jasper said thoughtfully. "I never considered working together. This has to be a first."

"No doubt about that," Jacob agreed. "We've got to get back to Sam," he said, glancing hurriedly at the exit, impatient now. "What time?"

"What's too late for you?" Jasper asked him.

Jacob and his friends all rolled their eyes. Jasper narrowed his, his face pinching with the effort to remain civil. They weren't making it easy.

"What time?" Jacob repeated.

"Three o'clock?" Jasper's voice was perfectly even, no hint of his aggravation seeping out.

"Where?"

"About ten miles due north of the Hoh Forest ranger station. Come at it from the west and you'll be able to follow our scent in."

"We'll be there." Jacob nodded, and they all turned to leave.

"Wait, Jake!" Bella called. She turned to follow him, and Jasper and I stepped away, letting her.

We were going to find the rest of our family and fill them in. _This_ was a reason to celebrate.

The party went on into the night, and, now, we were all able to enjoy it. The curtain of despondency had lifted. We had hope again.

After the party had wound down and everyone had gone, I found Jasper in his study, his back to me, staring out the window. He'd said very little since Jacob and his friends had left earlier. He'd needed time to process.

Smiling tenderly, I went to him, slipping my arms around his waist, and laid my cheek against his back. His hands covered mine, squeezing gently.

"All this time we've spent worrying and agonizing," he breathed, "and the answer was right there all along." He chuckled. "In the very last place any of us would have thought to look."

I pressed my lips to his spine in response.

"It's all going to be all right," he said, as if trying to make that fact sink in. I could hear it in his voice, he still didn't quite believe it. "Their involvement will double our numbers. The newborns won't even know they exist. They'll be distracted. And it will be almost easy to pick them off." He turned around, cradling my face between his hands, wonder filling his eyes.

"We're going to be fine."

"We're going to be fine," I repeated, leaning into his touch.

I watched the relief fill his eyes, relaxing the tense lines of his face. They were replaced by fierce strains of triumph. He smiled, eyes now blazing with joy. His arms snatched me up, spinning me around. The sound of his laughter filled my ears, and then his mouth found mine, claiming it fiercely. His lips were hard, unrestrained in his exultation.

This was a kiss of victory. 

* * *

Things are looking up, eh? ;) Fight training up next! Reviewers get a sneak peek. Until next time…

Hugs,

Nik


	11. Chapter 11

Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for. The fight training! Enjoy! I'll see you at the end. :) 

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Alice**

Our whole family headed out to the field just before three o'clock in the morning – the designated meeting time with the wolves. The cloud of tension that had hovered over our home for the last several weeks had lifted considerably since the conversation with Jacob at the party.

We had hope now – from the most unlikely source.

And I knew we all felt better if for no other reason than we were _doing_ something now. Our course had been decided, and we were taking steps to see it through. No more sitting on our hands waiting for something to happen. Now was the time for action.

The change in Jasper was especially marked. Gone was the restless tension and the crippling helplessness that had weighted him down recently. It had now been replaced with a sense of confidence and direction. I couldn't help feeling more optimistic for that reason alone. If he was worried then so was I, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. But his confidence was just as contagious as his anxiety – if not more so.

Jasper's steps were sure and purposeful as we made our way, hand in hand, to the clearing. He moved like a man on a mission.

We'd only been there for a few minutes before everything suddenly went black. Jasper turned to me in concern as he felt my mood darken drastically.

"They're on their way," I muttered petulantly. I hated not being able to see, even if I was grateful that the wolves were willing to help. I didn't care about the reason, my sightlessness was still a bone of contention with me.

Jasper didn't say anything, just smiled in understanding and bent down to kiss my scowling lips.

As everyone scattered to wait for the pack, and for Edward and Bella, I stood to the side, allowing myself a few moments to sulk. Jasper was a few yards in front of me, stretching like he was warming up to exercise. His face was deeply pensive, absorbed in preparing for the task of training us to fight. This wasn't something he took lightly.

Edward and Bella appeared at the far end of the clearing shortly after that. I didn't see them until the others did… until they were actually within eyesight. I could feel my pout deepen, and I knew I was being childish. But I didn't care. I hated this.

"Is something wrong with Alice?" Bella asked in a whisper. She might as well not have bothered keeping her voice low. It was my sight that was failing me, not my hearing. Her words carried over to me, loud and clear.

Edward chuckled. "The werewolves are on their way, so she can't see anything that will happen now. It makes her uncomfortable to be blind."

I glanced up at Edward and stuck my tongue out at him. He wasn't being appropriately sympathetic to my plight. That didn't seem to bother him, though, as he just laughed again at my response.

"Hey, Edward," Emmett greeted him jovially. "Hey, Bella. Is he going to let you practice, too?"

Edward groaned. "Please, Emmett, don't give her any ideas."

Carlisle approached then. "When will our guests arrive?" he asked, directing the question to Edward.

My black mood deepened at that. Any other time, I would have been the one with the answer to that question. But not now. Not with the damned dogs that cut off my sight. It wasn't fair.

Edward concentrated for a moment and then sighed. "A minute and a half. But I'm going to have to interpret. They don't trust us enough to use their human forms."

Carlisle nodded, not seeming surprised by that. "This is hard for them. I'm grateful they're coming at all."

At Edward's declaration, Bella looked at him, her eyes wide. "They're coming as wolves?"

Edward nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but he closed it suddenly. A strange gleam filled his eyes, and he turned to us quickly. "Prepare yourselves – they've been holding out on us."

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

"Shhh," he cautioned, staring past me into the trees.

I bit back a petty retort. I didn't like being shushed… especially when I was in a foul mood to begin with.

Our family formed a line then with Jasper and Emmett automatically taking their positions slightly in front of the rest of us, closest to what could be perceived as a threat. It was always like that. They were the protectors – our first line of defense.

Our truce with the wolves was shaky at best. There was no guarantee that this was going to work. They didn't trust us, and we didn't really trust them. But somehow we had to put all of that aside for the sake of a threat that was too big for either of us to handle on our own.

The tentative truce had been forged into an uncomfortable alliance.

"Damn," Emmett muttered under his breath as the wolves appeared through the trees. "Did you ever see anything like it?"

Esme and Rose exchanged wide-eyed glances. I knew my own eyes were just as wide as theirs at the sight that was moving steadily towards us. I looked at Jasper, but his face was a study in impassivity. He wasn't reacting, but I knew his mind was whirling as he considered what this new development meant for us.

"What is it?" Bella whispered. "I can't see."

"The pack has grown," Edward told her, his voice just as quiet as hers.

When we'd chased Victoria down the boundary line, there had been six wolves.

The six were now ten.

"Fascinating," Edward murmured as if not realizing he was speaking aloud.

The ten came to a stop a good distance down the field. Neither party was willing to risk getting too close apparently.

It was Carlisle who took a slow, deliberate step forward. A careful movement, and one intended to reassure. "Welcome," he greeted them.

"Thank you," Edward responded in a strange, flat voice. He was interpreting for their leader. "We will watch and listen, but no more. That is the most we can ask of our self-control."

"That is more than enough," Carlisle answered, looking steadily at the largest wolf. "My son Jasper – " he turned to where Jasper stood, tensed and ready – "has experience in this area. He will teach us how they fight, how they are to be defeated. I'm sure you can apply this to your own hunting style."

"They are different from you?" Edward asked in the detached voice.

Carlisle nodded to the large black wolf. "They are still very new – only months old to this life. Children, in a way. They will have no skill or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their numbers stand at twenty. Ten for us, ten for you – it shouldn't be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves."

A rumble sounded from the wolves.

"We are willing to take more than our share, if necessary," Edward translated, his tone conspicuously less indifferent now.

Whatever the intentions behind the offer, their condescension was maddening.

Carlisle smiled, unperturbed. "We'll see how it plays out."

"Do you know when and how they'll arrive?"

"They'll come across the mountains in four days. As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path."

"Thank you for the information. We will watch."

With a sighing sound, all ten wolves lowered themselves to the ground, their wary, watchful eyes gleaming in the dim light.

Equally wary – if not more so – Jasper then stepped into the empty space between the two sides of our uncomfortable truce. I saw him throw a questioning glance at Edward. Edward nodded infinitesimally in response. Without being told, I knew exactly what Jasper had just silently asked him.

_You have my back?_

It had been ingrained in Jasper throughout his career that you never turned your back on your enemy. That was a disadvantage that could cost your life. He didn't have much of a choice now, though. He was going to have to trust Edward to keep an ear out to their thoughts and warn him if the need arose.

And that level of trust didn't come easily to him.

Reluctantly, Jasper turned his back on the wolves so that he was facing us. He sighed, clearly uncomfortable to let himself be at such a disadvantage.

"Carlisle's right," he said, putting his discomfort aside and ignoring the daunting canine audience behind him to focus on us. "They'll fight like children. The two most important things you'll need to remember are, first, don't let them get their arms around you –they'll crush you instantly – and, second, don't go for the obvious kill. That's all they'll be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the sides and keep moving, they'll be too confused to respond effectively. Emmett?" he called.

Jasper stepped back then and waved Emmett forward. Emmett walked toward him with a grin that stretched from ear to ear, clearly eager. He'd been looking forward to this.

"Okay, Emmett first," Jasper declared, getting down to business. "He's the best example of a newborn attack."

Emmett rolled his eyes. I heard him snort. "I'll _try_ not to break anything."

Jasper grinned at him and turned to address the rest of us. "What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He's very straightforward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett."

Jasper backed up a few paces, tensing. "Okay, Emmett – try to catch me." He braced himself as Emmett crouched to spring.

Emmett charged forward, his attack just as direct as Jasper had anticipated. He jumped effortlessly out of the way.

Jasper was a constant blur of motion after that. He didn't stop or even slow. Emmett charged again and again, but no matter how hard he tried, he never came close to Jasper. And he was growing frustrated.

They'd sparred before, but every other time had been simply horsing around. Jasper had been playing, not fighting. It had been good-natured wrestling between brothers. Nothing like this.

The only other instance when Jasper had used his skill to fight Emmett had been weeks after we'd joined the family. And it hadn't actually been a fight. To call it that would have been stretching things a bit. Emmett wasn't even given the chance to respond.

We'd all been out hunting, and Emmett had charged at him to pick a mock fight. Jasper had put him on his back before he could blink. That had been Jasper's silent warning to Emmett and to the others that he was every bit as dangerous as he appeared.

It hadn't been easy for my warrior-husband to adjust to living in a family again rather than a coven made up of fighters. He was much too accustomed to those living in such close quarters turning on each other at little or no provocation. He'd wanted to prove quickly that he was capable of defending me as well as himself should the need arise.

Yet just as I'd tried to tell him from the start, that was never an issue. Not with them.

As I watched the two of them now, I could point out every mistake Emmett was making. His attack was too direct, he was using the same predictable approach every time, and he was letting his frustration make him reckless.

Jasper let him continue for a few moments. Emmett was fast, but his movements were lumbering and made at random. He wasn't thinking or planning his attack, he was simply acting.

Emmett might have been quick, but Jasper was quicker, his movements lithe and graceful. Like a panther, his attack was powerful and sleek.

Finally he pounced, leaping to the side and onto Emmett's back. By the time Emmett realized what had happened, Jasper's teeth were inches from his throat.

Emmett's eyes went wide. He cursed under his breath.

From across the field, I could hear a rumble of appreciation from the wolves.

"Again," Emmett demanded, a new determination covering his features. His smile was long gone. He hated losing more than he hated just about anything else.

"It's my turn," Edward protested, letting go of Bella's hand.

"In a minute," Jasper said, gesturing for him to wait. He grinned, stepping back. "I want to show Bella something first."

Jasper waved me forward, a smile on his lips. "I know you worry about her," he addressed Bella, his tone kind and understanding. "I want to show you why that's not necessary."

I stepped in front of him, my eyes sliding closed as he slipped into a crouch behind me. The wolves were still and silent on the far side of the field, watching intently, but not moving so much as a muscle… only to breathe.

I forced them from my mind and concentrated on my immediate future, bringing it into focus. I could see Jasper behind me, preparing to spring. I leapt out of the way the very instant before he sprung at me.

He collected himself and then leapt once more. Again and again he came at me but never did he catch me. Not even close.

I could sense which direction his attack would come from even before I could see it. I kept moving, evading his grasp. I knew how he fought – well enough to anticipate how he would stage his attack even before he decided on it.

This was familiar for us. He'd trained me thoroughly over the years. He knew that if I could best him in a fight, few others could pose any real threat to me.

He'd still worry because it was in his nature to do so, but at least it eased his mind somewhat to know that I could handle myself in a fight.

I was far from helpless. And I knew he was pleased by that.

Oddly enough, he was proud of the fact that I could win against him.

One-on-one, I was on even footing with him. It was when the numbers were greater and the stakes were higher that his advantage came into play.

He'd gone to great measures over the years to ensure that I knew how to defend myself.

Faster and faster he lunged, reaching for me. Yet every time his hands grasped nothing but air. I waited, dancing out of his reach, anticipating just the right moment to make my move. I didn't have to think about it. When the moment was right, I leapt away from his hands one last time and launched myself onto his back.

He tensed automatically as my arms and legs wrapped around him, but he was smiling, his eyes glancing back at me proudly.

"Gotcha," I said in a sing-song voice, pressing my lips against his throat, nipping the tendon lightly with my teeth.

He chuckled deep in his chest, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he grinned. "You truly are one frightening little monster," he teased lovingly.

The wolves muttered again, the sound wary this time. I knew they hadn't been expecting that outcome. If Emmett, who was the biggest and most imposing, could be defeated by Jasper who, in turn, could be bested by the smallest and therefore least threatening in appearance, was _anything_ truly as it appeared?

"It's good for them to learn some respect," Edward murmured, amused. The he spoke louder. "My turn."

As Edward came forward, I jumped down from Jasper's back and went to the back of the field to take his place beside Bella. Now, with my brother's attention so completely occupied, was the perfect time for me to speak to Bella about certain visions I'd been having recently. I didn't see how Edward needed to know about them… yet. I'd certainly spill if things didn't change, but I was going to attempt to address it first before I involved him.

"Cool, huh?" I asked smugly.

"Very," Bella responded inattentively, her eyes not leaving Edward and Jasper as they began to spar.

"I've got my eye on you, Bella," I whispered suddenly, my voice only barely loud enough for her to hear.

Her eyes flickered to me and back to them in sudden alarm. Her heart rate picked up, her breath hitching in her throat. She knew exactly what I was referring to.

"I'll warn him if your plans get any more defined. It doesn't help anything for you to put yourself in danger. Do you think either of them would give up if you died? They'd still fight, we all would. You can't change anything, so just be good, okay?"

Bella grimaced, but made no response.

"I'm watching," I warned her one last time, letting the topic drop then. I'd made my point. I didn't need to belabor it any more.

Like Bella, I turned my attention to the fight happening in front of us.

Edward and Jasper were the most evenly matched. Jasper had the experience to guide him, and he tried to go on instinct as much as possible. But Edward always heard his thoughts a fraction of a second before he acted.

They came at each other again and again, feinting and striking, neither one able to gain the advantage. Instinctive snarls erupted constantly, both deeply absorbed in the fight. It could have gone on for ages before one of them got the upper hand, but eventually, Carlisle cleared his throat, bringing them both to a stop.

Jasper laughed and took a step back, shaking his head. Edward straightened and grinned at him.

"Back to work," Jasper said. "We'll call it a draw."

Everyone took turns sparring with Jasper after that – Carlisle, then Rose, Esme, and Emmett again.

This first round was mostly a chance for Jasper to assess them, sizing up what needed the most attention. Jasper had never seen any of them truly fight before, and he needed to see what they were capable of and where the focus needed to be for all of them. We only had a limited time to train.

After that first round, he slowed down, giving more instructions. He'd stop in the middle of sparring and demonstrate what could be done better, showing different fighting techniques for both offense and defense.

To me, this was familiar, but in some ways it was entirely different than anything I'd ever seen before. I hadn't known exactly how Jasper would approach training our family to fight as opposed to newborns that he had no attachments to.

With the newborns, he'd barked orders, expecting immediate obedience. He wasn't one to dole out praises. He was a commander who demanded nothing less than complete compliance.

He was nothing like that now. He wasn't hesitant to point out what needed to be done better, but he demonstrated and made sure that they understood, encouraging them and directing by example. He was patient, but he wasn't lenient. There was too much riding on this for him to take this lightly, and he wasn't going to let us have a lax approach to it either.

I'd observed Jasper's training sessions thousands of times before. And Edward had seen every last one of them in my memories due to the incident with Aro when we'd been in Volterra. I knew he'd seen a certain amount of them from Jasper as well. No matter how hard Jasper had tried not to think about it, he couldn't block those memories completely.

But no one else knew anything more than the most basic facts about that period of his life. They knew, of course, about the decades he'd spent fighting and the massive number of newborns he'd trained. But having knowledge of something and witnessing it firsthand were two entirely different things.

Jasper had been a soldier far longer than any one of us in this field – save for Carlisle – had been alive. By the time Esme had been born, Jasper had three and a half decades of warfare under his belt.

He'd seen it all. He'd heard it all. He knew the things he was training us in inside and out.

There were few beings in this world that knew the fight as well as he did. The fact that he was alive after so many battles was evidence enough of that. And it was abundantly obvious in the way he conducted himself now.

There was a subtle shift in his demeanor as he taught us how to fight, a confidence and sense of purpose. And everyone responded to that, complying immediately to his instructions without complaint or dissention.

Even Emmett was taking him seriously, intent on his direction. I'd wondered if there would be issues, especially from Emmett and Rosalie, with Jasper in a more authoritative role. No one liked being told what to do by a sibling.

But there was just some indefinable _something_ about the way he carried himself like this that we couldn't help responding to. I knew his gift had a certain measure of responsibility with that. Jasper was a natural leader. He possessed that quality that made people want to follow him… made them want to please him.

He was completely in his element now. And it was easy to see why he'd been so successful as a soldier.

As the night drew to a close, Jasper turned to the wolves, his expression uncomfortable again as he was forced to acknowledge their presence. "We'll be doing this tomorrow. Please feel free to observe again."

"Yes, we'll be here."

Then, Edward stood, patting Bella's arm, and stepped towards the rest of us. "The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents – so they don't make mistakes later. If we could hold very still, it will make it easier for them."

"Certainly," Carlisle addressed the big black wolf. "Whatever you need."

As one, the pack rose to their feet then and approached us. We formed a loose line once again, steeling ourselves against their close proximity. The natural aggression that their presence provoked itched beneath my skin. It was all I could do to hold still. And I knew the others were in the same boat as I was.

Edward was intent on Bella as they came closer. Jasper stiffened as they approached him, his posture tight as a bowstring, but Emmett was grinning, clearly relaxed. Carlisle's face was impassive, completely neutral. If this was difficult for him, he didn't show it. Esme and Rose shared the same inexpressive look, standing still and silent as the statues we resembled.

As the wolves sniffed their way through the line, the russet colored wolf broke away from the rest and ambled over to Bella.

"Jake?" she whispered incredulously. The wolf crouched down on his front legs so that his face was level with hers, and when he did, she reached out her hand and touched the side of his face. Her hand stroked the fur there. She seemed absolutely fascinated. Spellbound.

Quickly, she jumped back when his tongue swiped out to lick her from chin to hairline. "Ew! Gross, Jake!" she yelled in disgust, smacking at him. Despite her reaction to the impromptu bath, she seemed relaxed with him. And much too comfortable. He jumped back before she could hit him, the strange barking sounding oddly enough like laughter.

We were all gaping at her reaction with varying expressions of repugnance and puzzlement as she wiped her face with her sleeve.

I chanced a look at Edward's face to see that he seemed disappointed with her reaction. But, really, if she wasn't terrified of _us_, why should she have a fearful reaction toward them? We already knew her reactions weren't right. At least _we_ looked human, though, and not like mangy, furry animals.

Soon after that, the wolves filed away, returning home. Jacob stayed behind to talk to Edward, phasing into his human form after the others were gone. I could hear that they were talking about where to hide Bella during the fight, but since Jacob was involved in the planning, I couldn't see anything. I chose to drown them out rather than listen and be frustrated by what I couldn't see.

So I was just as surprised as Jasper when we heard Edward call out his name. And as he did, the future went black again… and my mood along with it.

Jasper jogged over to where Edward stood with Bella and Jacob, and I followed right behind him.

"Okay, Jacob," Edward said reluctantly when we reached them. Jacob reached out for Bella, and she immediately tensed, obviously wary about his intentions.

Edward's face was blank, but still I could tell from the set of his shoulders that he wasn't happy about whatever it was that they were planning… whatever it was that I couldn't see.

"We're going to see if I can confuse the scent enough to hide your trail," Jacob explained to Bella. She just stared dubiously at him and his still outstretched arms. She didn't seem to be any happier about it than Edward was.

"You're going to have to let him carry you," Edward said too calmly. I knew he wasn't as composed about this as he appeared. He was seething on the inside. There was no way he couldn't be.

Bella's frown deepened. She hesitated. But Jacob was having none of it.

"Don't be a baby." He rolled his eyes and jerked her up in his arms.

Bella stiffened inside his hold. Edward's hands twitched at his sides, but his face was perfectly composed.

Edward turned to Jasper who was watching the whole exchange with eyes that missed nothing. The emotional atmosphere was pretty obvious even to me. None of them were doing a particularly good job of hiding how they felt, but I thought it would be very interesting to be able to feel it as Jasper did.

"Bella's scent is so much more potent to me – I thought it would be a fairer test if someone else tried."

Jacob waited for no other cue than that and took off with Bella in his arms.

Jasper and I gave him a head start and then followed after him.

The stench burned my nose, overtaking all other smells. Bella's scent was almost completely masked. The only thing I could pick up on was the distinctive wet, musty dog smell. My nose wrinkled against the stench, and Jasper's face wasn't much better, screwed up in distaste.

"I'd say it's a safe bet this will work," he glanced back at me as we ran through the trees. "I can barely make out her scent at all, and I know where to look for it."

"God, it reeks," I complained, wanting to plug my nose and get rid of the smell.

Jasper's face grew thoughtful then, his steps slowing somewhat. I recognized that look – he was planning something.

Jasper smiled to himself in satisfaction, knowing he was on to something good. I could see flashes of what he was plotting, but that was all I needed. With this idea of his, everything fell into place masterfully. Perfectly orchestrated.

"Genius," I said, smiling up at him.

"Think it'll work?" he asked, but it wasn't really a question. He knew it would.

"Without a hitch," I assured him. "It's perfect."

When we met back up with the others, Jacob was just setting Bella on her feet again. I noted with some satisfaction that she marched right back to Edward and took his hand without sparing a backwards glance at Jacob. She actually looked irritated.

"Well?" she asked Jasper.

"As long as you don't touch anything, Bella, I can't _imagine_ anyone sticking their nose close enough to that trail to catch your scent." Jasper said, grimacing. "It was almost completely obscured."

"A definite success," I seconded.

"And it gave me an idea," Jasper said, his eyes going back and forth between Edward and Bella.

"Which will work."

"Clever," Edward agreed.

"How do you _stand_ that?" Jacob asked Bella, looking at the three of us like we were crazy.

Everyone, Bella included, ignored him. Edward turned to Bella to explain. "We're – well, _you're_ – going to leave a false trail to the clearing, Bella. The newborns are hunting, your scent will excite them, and they'll come exactly the way we want them to without being careful about it. Alice can already see that this will work When they catch _our_ scent, they'll split up and try to come at us from two sides. Half will go through the forest, where her vision suddenly disappears…"

"Yes!" Jacob hissed.

Edward smiled at him then, a smile of true comradeship that outshone their rivalry.

"Not a chance," Edward thundered unexpectedly. He was suddenly irate. His head snapped around to Jasper – who suddenly looked sheepish and slightly defensive – glaring hotly at him.

"I know, I know," Jasper said quickly, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I didn't even consider it, not really."

I stepped on his foot, pouting… not that he felt it with his big feet and thick boots. But still. I wanted to know what I'd missed, what had made Edward so mad.

"If Bella was actually there in the clearing, it would drive them insane," he turned to me to explain. "They wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything but her. It would make picking them off truly easy…"

Edward glared harder. I almost expected it to burn a hole in Jasper's skull.

"Of course it's too dangerous for her. It was just an errant thought," he defended himself.

"No," Edward said with extreme finality, ending the discussion.

"You're right," Jasper conceded. He reached down and took my hand in his. "Best two out of three?" he asked as we went back to the middle of the clearing.

"You're on."

Oddly enough, Bella hadn't seemed at all fazed by Jasper's explanation. Then again, considering the bent of her recent thoughts, that shouldn't have surprised me. She really had no sense of self-preservation at all. That was hardly a good thing in situations like this.

I had the feeling that Edward would give Jasper hell later for even speaking that out loud and putting those thoughts in her head.

Jacob had just seemed disgusted. I could feel his eyes boring into the backs of our heads as we walked away.

I was really glad to hear Edward speak in Jasper's defense. "Jasper looks at things from a military perspective. He looks at all the options – it's thoroughness, not callousness."

Based on Jacob's snort I assumed he wasn't convinced. But it really wasn't any of his business anyway. We didn't owe him an explanation.

Jacob left shortly after that, and Bella and Edward followed minutes later. Bella was nearly asleep on her feet. It had been an extremely long day.

She didn't protest at all when Edward lifted her to his chest to take her back home. She burrowed into him, laying her head on his shoulder as they ran off. I doubted she'd even be awake by the time he got her home.

The rest of the family lingered for a while longer, talking among themselves. Jasper and I sparred for a while, but neither of us were taking it too seriously. It had been a long night, and we were just blowing off steam now.

I won the first round, but, by the second, we were playing more than "fighting."

"All right, time out, you two," Esme said with a smile, approaching us after we'd been at it for a while. We both stopped, but before I could respond to her, Jasper grabbed me from behind, catching me off guard.

"Gotcha," he teased, squeezing his arms around my waist.

"Cheater!" I turned to glare at him, but it fell flat considering the teasing sparkle in his eyes.

"We're heading back now," Esme told us before we could start bickering.

"We'll be back in a little while," I said, still glaring at Jasper. "We have a score to settle first."

"Have fun," Rose teased with a wink. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Don't stay out too late, kids," Emmett piped in then, waggling his eyebrows as he slipped his fingers through Rosalie's.

Jasper and I both rolled our eyes at him.

"Okay, where were we?" Jasper asked, tapping his chin, after they left. "Oh, right, one and one."

"Umm, no," I protested, hands on my hips. "The last one does _not_ count. You cheated."

"I know," he said as if it was the most obvious and natural thing in the world. "Your point being?"

"My point is you cheated!" I declared, throwing my hands up in the air.

"You cheat all the time." An insolent smile danced on his lips.

"Not intentionally. I can't help what I see."

"That doesn't change the fact that it's still cheating."

I rolled my eyes. "Haven't we had this discussion before… maybe more than once?"

He paid me no attention. "I have to take my advantages where they come. You really shouldn't be surprised by this. You ought to know by now that I wrote the book on fighting dirty."

"True," I conceded. "You have it down to an art form." My voice dripped with sarcasm.

"And did I, or did I not, teach you everything I know about such things?"

"You did. But – "

"Then what's the problem, darlin?" he cut me off, his voice thick with that Texas drawl that made my knees weak at the most inopportune times. "You can't handle what I dish out?" his eyes glinted with wicked amusement. He was baiting me. And he knew I was going to take it.

"You know I can."

"Big talk, Alice. But can you back it up?" He circled me now slowly, like a predator stalking his prey.

"Watch me."

We circled each other, round and round, waiting for the other to make the first move. I couldn't say which of us actually did, but it didn't seem to matter. We feinted and sparred, lunged and leapt, but neither of us was able to actually gain the upper hand.

I leapt toward him, but before I could reach, he was yards away, coming at me from a different angle. He reached for me, his arm swiping for my waist. I flipped over his arm, and we began all over again.

Before long, we were both laughing breathlessly. Our sparring match had disintegrated into a game of chase.

It was difficult to say who actually caught who. Even more difficult to say which of us actually won. As we rolled and tumbled on the grass, it seemed far more accurate to say that neither of us lost.

We were both still grinning when we headed back home some time later.

"I'm proud of you, you know," Jasper said, squeezing my hand in his. His eyes were brimming with that pride as he looked down at me. "You're a damn good fighter."

I shrugged, beaming under his praise. "What can I say? I learned from the best."

He chuckled and ducked his head. "Maybe next time you'll actually win," he said, glancing at me slyly.

"Hey!" I said, smacking his chest with my hand. "I won this time."

"Nope," he said, grinning mischievously. "We agreed on the best two out of three. The last two were mine."

"No, they were not!"

He just grinned.

"You're not very nice to your favorite student, you know."

His eyes glinted wickedly. "That's not what you were saying a half hour ago," he drawled.

I gaped at him, eyes wide. "Why, you…"

"Language, darlin," he teased, swatting at my behind.

I stepped out of the way and jumped on his back, winding my legs around his waist. "You're incorrigible."

"And you love me for it," he said, wrapping his arms around my legs to hold me in place.

"Take me home."

He chuckled. "With pleasure."

Our first night of training was a wrap, and it had gone exceptionally well. Everyone had been in good spirits and much had been accomplished.

But we still had three nights left to go. And so much still to do. 

* * *

So, the general consensus after the last chapter was that you all wanted Jasper's POV of the "staredown" with Jacob at the party. Because you're all so awesome and I love you so much, I'm offering that scene as the outtake for this chapter. All you have to do to get it? Review. ;)

Up next is another night of fight training. Jasper gets his say this time.

Thanks for reading! Until next time…

Hugs,

Nik


	12. Chapter 12

Hello, friends!

I will not lie, there is a moment in the first paragraphs of this chapter that is so purely self-indulgent, that I should be ashamed of myself… too bad I'm not. ;)

I know I kept you waiting a bit longer for this one, so I'll hush now and let you get to reading. See you at the end! Enjoy! 

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Alice**

.

Later that afternoon, I sat propped against the edge of the couch with a sketchbook in my hands. I wasn't paying that much attention to what I was working on, I was mostly just doodling.

Jasper was sprawled on the cushion next to me, my feet resting on his lap. Over and over, his fingers absently kneaded from my ankles to the arch of my feet. It was almost enough to make me melt into a puddle on the couch. His hands were magic… even when he wasn't trying.

Emmett was sitting on the floor next to the couch with the television remote in his hands. He'd been channel surfing for a half hour, never settling on anything.

"Emmett, would you just pick something already," Rose griped from the chair across the room. She was draped sideways, her feet dangling over the arm of the chair as she skimmed through a magazine.

"There's nothing good on," he complained, sounding bored.

"Flipping though the channels a thousand different times isn't going to change that," she sniped.

I was only half listening to their bickering. All afternoon long, I'd been getting flickers of Bella doing something incredibly stupid. I'd already warned her that if her plans got any more defined I was going to Edward. She was just about to that point now.

Despite my warning, she'd obviously been giving it serious thought since last night. The visions weren't fading. Instead, they were gradually growing more vivid.

"What's wrong?" Jasper's hands stilled as he noticed my sour expression.

"Bella," I said tersely.

"What about her?"

"She's about to make things a lot more difficult than they have to be." Jasper just shot me a strange look, not understanding. "I've been getting flickers of her wandering out to the field during the battle, not staying put like she's supposed to. She thinks she'll be more help that way. What she doesn't realize is that she'll end up getting lost rather than finding us."

Jasper grunted, his nose wrinkling. "I guess I didn't help matters by saying what I did earlier then, did I?"

I shrugged. "To be fair, she'd been plotting something like this even before that. If I had to guess, I'd say the wolves had more to do with it than you did. It all started after she spent that evening with them, listening to their legends. I'd bet they're the ones who actually planted that seed."

"Edward's going to love that," Jasper drawled sarcastically.

"I warned her if she didn't cut it out I was going to tell him. She didn't listen."

"Does she ever?" Emmett grinned. "_Stubborn_…" he drew out the word. "Edward thinks he's got his hands full now, just wait until she's changed. He won't know what hit him."

I didn't answer, just reached behind me for my phone and dialed Edward's number.

He answered on the first ring. "What is it, Alice?"

"Edward, I think you need to have a talk with Bella. I tried last night, but she didn't listen to me. She's plotting ways to get to the field during the fight."

There was silence on the other end for a long moment. Edward's voice was carefully impassive when he spoke next. "I sort of guessed as much. She was talking in her sleep."

"The thing is, I don't actually see her finding us if she tries. She ends up getting lost in the woods instead."

Edward sighed. I could just see him shaking his head on the other end. "I'll take care of it."

He hung up the phone then. I certainly didn't envy him this particular conversation. Emmett was right, Bella was stubborn... just as stubborn and unrelenting as Edward.

"Oh great," I muttered under my breath a few minutes later, scowling.

"What happened now?" Jasper asked.

"She's trying to convince Edward to sit out of the fight."

"She's what?" he asked incredulously, sitting up at attention.

"Good," Emmett interjected, cracking his knuckles. "That means there's more for me."

Rose shot me an exasperated glance over Emmett's head, gesturing toward him with a wave of her hand. Obligingly, I shoved my foot into the back of his head.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, automatically reaching back to rub the spot where my bare foot had connected with his thick skull.

"Thank you," Rose said with a half grin at me.

"Anytime."

"Actually," Jasper said, obviously deep in thought, "she might be onto something."

"What do you mean?" I asked, intrigued. That wasn't the response I might have expected from him.

"It's too dangerous for her to be in the clearing with us – too much could go wrong," Jasper explained, thinking aloud. "But it's probably not wise to leave her alone during the fight either. Even if she wasn't in danger, Edward would still be distracted worrying about her. His focus will be elsewhere, and that makes him more likely to get hurt.

"If he's with her, she's safe and he knows her whereabouts. It's a better scenario all around."

"He's going to be mad that he's missing the fight," I said, already anticipating living with a crabby Edward. I wasn't looking forward to that. It wasn't a pleasant prospect.

"He'll get over it," Jasper said shortly, obviously still mulling over this newest development. "You said the numbers were down to nineteen today, and it's a good possibility that they'll go down even more before Friday. It would have been good to have him there, but, all things considered, it doesn't put us in a bind to fight without him."

My phone rang then.

Just as I'd known it would be, it was Edward. His tone was sour and curt. "Alice," he said with a heavy sigh, "could you come babysit Bella for a bit? I need to speak with Jasper."

"I'm on my way," I told him without hesitation.

It was ten minutes later when I walked in Bella's front door. They were both there waiting for me.

"You're going to miss all the fun," I grumbled, frowning at Edward.

"Hello, Alice," he greeted me drily. He tipped Bella's chin back with one finger to kiss her goodbye. "I'll be back later tonight," he assured her. "I'll work this out with the others, rearrange things."

"Okay," she said quietly – and, unless I missed my guess, a little guiltily as well.

"There's not much to arrange. I already told them. Emmett is pleased."

Edward rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he is."

With that, he was gone.

I put my hand on my hip and turned to look at Bella. She could tell by my dour expression that I wasn't particularly happy.

"I'm sorry," she said, glancing at the ground. "Do you think this will make it more dangerous for you?"

I snorted. "You worry too much, Bella. You're going to go prematurely gray."

"Why are you upset then?" she asked, her forehead furrowing in confusion.

"Edward is such a grouch when he doesn't get his way. I'm just anticipating living with him for the next few months." I grimaced in distaste. "I suppose, if it keeps you sane, it's worth it. But I wish you could control the pessimism, Bella. It's so unnecessary."

Her eyes narrowed then, a spark of anger flashing. "Would you let Jasper go without you?" she demanded pointedly.

"That's different."

It really wasn't in theory. I'd never let him go off and tackle something like that without me by his side, and Bella knew that. The only difference was that it was actually feasible for me to fight with Jasper. It wasn't like Bella could fight with us. There really wasn't anything she could do besides lead them to us. After that, it was up to us to end it and her to stay out of the way until we did.

"Sure it is," Bella said sarcastically. She wasn't buying it. I knew she wouldn't, so I did the only other thing I could do – change the subject.

"Go clean yourself up," I instructed. "Charlie will be home in fifteen minutes, and if you look this ragged he's not going to want to let you out again."

She did, and, just as I'd predicted, Charlie walked in the front door fifteen minutes later. Bella was in the kitchen making dinner, and I'd perched myself in the chair Edward usually occupied to watch her.

A smile split Charlie's face when he came into the kitchen and saw that I was there instead of Edward. "Howdy, Alice!" he said brightly. "How are you, hon?"

"I'm fine, Charlie, thanks."

"I see you finally made it out of bed, sleepyhead," he teased Bella as she put their plates on the table and sat down beside him. "Everyone's talking about that party your parents threw last night," he addressed me again. "I'll bet you've got one heck of a clean up job ahead of you."

I shrugged like it was no big deal – which it wasn't. We'd had everything cleaned up in no time. One would never guess that we'd had a party at all to look at the house now. It was back to Esme's usual pristine standards.

"It was worth it," I told him, smiling in memory. "It was a great party."

"Where's Edward?" he asked… more than a little grudgingly. "Is he helping clean up?"

That was my cue. Edward could thank me for this later.

I sighed and painted a tragic expression on my face, my shoulders slumping forward. "No. He's off planning the weekend with Emmett and Carlisle."

"Hiking again?" Charlie asked.

I nodded, ducking my head. "Yes. They're _all_ going, except me. We always go backpacking at the end of the school year, sort of a celebration, but this year I decided I'd rather shop than hike, and not one of them will stay behind with me. I'm abandoned."

Bella watched me quizzically, knowing that I was up to something, just not sure what it might be. Charlie, on the other hand, bought it hook line and sinker. He reached out for my hand automatically like he was going to try to comfort me.

"Alice, honey, why don't you come stay with us," he offered. "I hate to think of you all alone in that big house."

That was exactly the opening I'd been looking for. Now I just needed a little help from Bella. I sighed dramatically and nudged her foot under the table.

"Ow!" she protested loudly.

Darn. Must have nudged a little harder than I thought.

"What?" Charlie turned to her, concerned.

I shot her a frustrated look. She was really slow this morning.

"Stubbed my toe," she muttered blackly.

"Oh." He turned back to me, waiting for an answer. "So, how 'bout it?"

I stepped on Bella's toes again, not as hard this time.

"Er, Dad, you know, we don't really have the best accommodations here," Bella said, finally picking up on where I was going with this. "I bet Alice doesn't want to sleep on my floor…"

Charlie pursed his lips thoughtfully. I fixed a devastated expression on my face for good measure.

"Maybe Bella could stay up there with you," he suggested. "Just until your folks get back."

"Oh, would you, Bella?" I grinned at her, turning my devastated expression into a hopeful one. "You don't mind shopping with me, right?"

"Sure," she agreed, though she couldn't have sounded less enthusiastic if she'd tried. "Shopping. Okay."

"When are they leaving?" Charlie asked.

"Tomorrow."

"When do you want me?" Bella asked.

"After dinner, I guess." I placed my finger under my chin, thoughtful now. "You don't have anything going on Saturday, do you? I want to get out of town to shop, and it will be an all-day thing."

"Not Seattle," Charlie interjected, sounding stern.

"Of course not," I agreed immediately. Seattle would be safer than Forks on Saturday, but it wasn't like he could know that. "I was thinking Olympia, maybe…"

"You'll like that, Bella," Charlie said, decidedly more cheerful now. "Go get your fill of the city."

"Yeah, Dad. It'll be great."

And just that easily everything was arranged.

When Edward came to pick me up later that night, I climbed into the passenger seat, grinning at him like the cat that ate the canary. Just to annoy him, I purposefully kept him out of my head, translating the Gettysburg address into Latin.

"What?" he asked, his face lined with confusion and a little bit of annoyance as he stopped the car a little ways down the road. I'd be driving it home, and he'd be going back to Bella's for the night.

"You're welcome," I teased in a sing-song voice.

"Alice, stop with the game. What in the world are you talking about?"

I grinned smugly. "Bella's alibi for the battle is all taken care of."

"Ah," Edward said in sudden understanding… or so he thought. "Would that perhaps be the hiking trip that Charlie mentioned?"

"Yup."

"All right," he said, still not fully getting it. "Thank you for arranging that. Now is there any chance that you'd let me in on your secret to being on Charlie's good side?" he grinned wryly.

I giggled. "Sorry. Me he likes. You're the guy who's corrupting his sweet little girl. You have no hope whatsoever. Might as well get used to it."

"Great. Thanks, Alice. That's really encouraging."

"And speaking of corrupting, you still don't fully comprehend what I did for you in there."

Edward eyed me skeptically, waiting for me to enlighten him. He really didn't get it.

"Bella's going to be staying with us tomorrow night," I spelled out for him. "Only 'we' won't be there. You will. With Bella. Alone. You'll have the entire house to yourselves."

I watched as understanding dawned on his face, excitement lighting his eyes from within.

"You're welcome," I said, grinning in self-satisfaction.

"Alice, you're the best," he said, leaning over to kiss my cheek.

"I know," I chirped. 

* * *

**Jasper**

.

After Alice left, I went up to my study. I was waiting there when Edward came to find me. With a heaving sigh, he sank down in the chair opposite me, his face lined with tension. "How much did Alice tell you?"

"Everything, I think. You wanted to discuss sitting out?"

Edward nodded reluctantly. "Bella gave me the choice of either her being there with us – which is an emphatic no – "

"Of course," I agreed.

"Or me sitting out with her. I don't believe she thought I'd actually agree to that."

I chuckled. I doubted that she did.

"She thinks it's either so dangerous that she should be there to distract the newborns, or in our favor enough that my involvement isn't needed."

"The odds are certainly more in our favor now with the wolves adding to our numbers. I don't see it as being a problem for you to stay with her. As a matter of fact, I think that might be the better option all things considered anyway. You won't be distracted trying to fight while worrying about her, and there's no chance she'll wander off where she shouldn't be. I think that would actually tie up all our loose ends.

"We'll have you and Bella lay the false trail to the clearing. Jacob can then carry her to a remote location in the mountains where you and she will stay until it's over."

Edward nodded, considering what I'd presented. "I suppose…"

"It _will_ work. And we will be fine."

"You're certain you don't need me there?"

"Edward, if I thought your absence would put us at risk, you and I would be having a much different conversation. I'm not going to sugar coat the truth to make you feel better. You know me better than that.

"Your thoughts will be with Bella even if you are fighting with us. That makes you a liability. You're far more likely to get hurt while worrying about her, or someone else will get hurt trying to watch your back. It's better this way. Trust me."

Edward nodded solemnly. "I guess that's it, then."

The room was quiet then except for the ticking of the clock as we both became lost in our own thoughts. I was the first to break the silence.

"She really wanted to walk right into the middle of the fight to distract the newborns and help us?"

"Yes," Edward said, shaking his head. "It's a physiological impossibility, of course, but somehow I just know she's going to make me the first vampire to have a heart attack."

I chuckled, glancing over at my brother. Behind the strains of tension on his face, that undeniable love every time he spoke of her, or even thought of her, was visible in his eyes.

"Your girl has guts, Edward," I told him, admiration in my voice.

"I know," he laughed, shaking his head again, though his eyes glowed with pride. "She really does."

On the first night of fight training, we'd all been riding a high from the news of our unlikely allies… allies that more than doubled our numbers and all but guaranteed our success.

The second night, I'd felt the press of time a bit more, but the energy was still mostly positive.

Tonight was the third night. And also our last full night to train. We were going hunting tomorrow night so that we could be at our peak strength for the battle.

Tonight was it.

I wasn't worried that we would lose. The odds had swung decidedly in our favor. We had the advantage. We _would_ win. There was no doubt in my mind of that.

But there was still something that nagged in the back of my mind. A fear that made it difficult to be reasonable.

In all the battles I'd fought, rarely, if ever, did one side walk away with no casualties whatsoever.

We had the upper hand, but all it took was a single instant for something to happen. Just one mishap could change everything. I'd seen that happen too many times.

One wrong step, one moment of lost concentration could cost us the life of a loved one.

I'd never had to lead a fight with that concern before. Never, in all the battles I'd fought, had there been people I cared about on the line. Only newborns that meant nothing to me. Numbers that could easily be replaced. Not people that mattered.

Not like now.

There was an undercurrent of tension tonight as we trained. Lightheartedness was no more. We were all business now.

I pushed each member of my family all until I knew I was seeing their absolute best. And then I pressed for even more… more than they thought they could give.

I was having each of them take turns fighting in uneven groupings. It was Emmett's turn now. He'd taken Carlisle out fairly quickly, and Rosalie was coming at his sides now just as I'd instructed them all to do. He'd done well fending them off, but I still wasn't satisfied.

I glanced over at Edward, who was standing at the sides with his arms crossed over his chest as he observed them. I caught his attention and inclined my head slightly to them.

Edward nodded almost imperceptibly and then leapt at Emmett from the side. Emmett wasn't prepared, and Edward had him grounded before he knew what had hit him.

"What the hell?" Emmett thundered, shaking him off, clearly peeved. "What the hell was that supposed to be, Edward?"

"Emmett," I called, stopping his tirade before he could get going, "do you really think you're going to be given a free pass by the newborns just because you're engaged with someone else? That's not going to stop them. Be aware of what's going on around you at all times," I infused my words with a steely undertone, making sure he was listening. "Watch your blind side. Pay attention to what you're doing, but don't get so wrapped up in it that you lose sight of your surroundings. Don't let yourself get caught unaware."

He nodded, offering no argument or defense.

"Again," he demanded in determination.

I observed them carefully as the night went on, stopping frequently to redirect or offer instruction. I had to remind myself repeatedly that our opponents would have no skill to fight with, only strength. Each one of them were all leagues ahead of the newborns in that regard.

But it still didn't completely ease my mind.

There was always that lingering what if...

As the hours passed, there was one issue that I noted over and over again. It was one that perhaps I should have expected, yet one that couldn't be ignored.

"Carlisle," I called, gesturing for him to follow me to an unoccupied part of the field. While the others continued, we faced off.

"You're hesitating," I said without emotion, beginning to circle him.

He kept his eyes on me, not responding, just watching, wary… waiting.

I struck at him. His eyes didn't leave mine as he blocked me. And we began circling again. I struck a second time, and he evaded that blow, too.

I left my right side completely unguarded, handing him an open opportunity to strike, but he didn't take it.

We circled again and again, feinting and blocking. I purposefully made mistakes, but he refused to take advantage of them.

Carlisle was not a man to take measures to protect himself. He wouldn't hurt another being for his own gain. He was a healer, a physician, and as such he'd taken an oath to do no harm. As an inherently kind-hearted person, after so many centuries of upholding that oath, I feared for him now.

Faster and closer together my blows struck. He blocked them all but hesitated every time I presented him with an opportunity to strike back. I pushed harder, and then harder still, forcing him into offensive, giving him no choice.

In order for him to stop me, he would truly have to _stop_ me. He was going to have to end it.

Finally, he saw an opening. And took it. But he waited a fraction of a second too long.

When he struck, I grabbed his arm and twisted it around his back. My arm snaked around his neck in a headlock, sending him to his knees.

"Don't hesitate," I hissed through clenched teeth. "If you hesitate, you die. It's as simple as that."

I released him, forcing him back to his feet and gripping his shoulders, my gaze burning into his.

"If you hold back in this fight, your enemies will take advantage of it, and they will kill you. There will be no second chances.

"When we get out here Friday night, you _fight._ And you fight like you're fighting for _our_ lives. Because you are. Because if we lose you… then we're nothing."

I released him, dropping my arms back to my sides. A strange weariness crept over me, clamping onto my heart. When I stepped back, I noticed that all the others had stopped what they were doing, watching us with rapt eyes… horrified and fascinated.

Feeling weary to my very bones, I waved them on, gesturing for them to continue. It was a mostly silent affair now. A dark cloud of tension had settled over us, and we couldn't shake it.

When the first light of dawn crept over the sky, we wrapped things up and went home. The sun broke over the clouds, spilling its light through their filter. But I barely noticed. My mind was still troubled, my heart heavy. Breaking off from the others, I went upstairs, seeking the solitude of my study.

Logistically, I knew we had nothing to worry about. Everything was taken care of. We'd taken every precaution that we possibly could. They all knew how to fight, and they could fight well. They'd given it their all this week, and it showed. I couldn't have asked for more.

We were ready.

But inside, in a place not controlled by rational thought, I was still worried. I could feel the churning in that dark corner of my heart, thoughts of all the things that could go wrong.

I was invested in this fight like I'd never been before.

The outcome wasn't about territory or lands or bloodlust. It wasn't tainted by greed.

This time, I was fighting to save the lives of those I loved. And those fighting alongside me weren't pawns created as a sacrifice for material gain. They were my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters… my wife.

Those that mattered... those that could never be replaced.

As if summoned by my restless thoughts, I heard the soft tread of footsteps in the hall. They steps stopped just outside the door, hesitating for a moment.

Esme.

Her emotions were calm, soothing and restful to my agitated nerves even before she fully entered the room.

She crossed the distance then and stopped beside me. She didn't say a word, she simply wrapped her arm around my waist and stood there with me.

Gradually, I felt the tension letting go. Some vague, dark corner of my mind likened this to the times as a young boy when I'd felt such a comforting presence when I'd awoken from the grip of a nightmare or to the sounds of a storm. The face was different, but the result was the same.

Even without words, it was the comfort only a mother's presence could bring. It was the feeling of being safe – in a place of protection where no harm could possibly come to you.

It didn't make any sense whatsoever for me to feel that way, but, then again, the most important things in life weren't those that could be rationalized. They weren't meant to be explained or even understood. Just cherished and appreciated.

Esme stood on tiptoe then and nudged my face down so that she could kiss my cheek.

"What was that for?" I asked, unable to keep the smile from tugging at my lips.

"No reason," she responded simply.

I raised my eyebrow, not quite believing that.

"Because I felt like it," she amended. "A mother needs no more reason than that, does she?"

"No," I chuckled, turning so that I could give her a proper hug. "That's reason enough."

Her hand stroked up and down my back.

"I love you," I told her suddenly. "I don't think I tell you that enough."

"You don't have to," she said quietly, a smile in her voice. "I know you do. And Jasper?" She pulled back to meet my eyes. "We're going to be fine. All of us."

"Of course we are," I said, matching the assurance in her tone. In spite of my misgivings, I knew we would be.

"Now, come on," she released me and reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze. "Come join us downstairs."

I let her take my hand and lead me down the stairs. The others were all gathered in the den, Carlisle with his laptop and Rose, Emmett, and Alice setting up to build a house of cards.

Esme patted me on the arm, and I crossed the room to sit on the floor next to Alice. She smiled warmly at me and settled against my chest.

Slowly, between the four of us, the house of cards began to take shape. Emmett, being Emmett, took great pleasure in getting a rise out of the girls by acting like he was going to knock it down. Alice smacked at his hands before he could get too close, and Rose shot withering glares at him. He remained unfazed. This was a game to him… and he was enjoying every minute of it.

The house of cards stood over five feet tall by the time he actually succeeded in knocking it down. A flick of his wrist sent the whole structure teetering to the ground.

Rosalie and Alice both screeched at him as the cards flew across the room in all directions, scattering from one corner to the other, sliding underneath the furniture. Not one card remained upright. One second it was standing, the next it was destroyed.

All it had taken was a split second and one careless action.

A foreboding sense of unease settled in the pit of my stomach again as I took in the scattered cards.

It wasn't remotely the same thing. I knew that. Our family was far more durable than the flimsy paper structure.

Yet the principle was the same.

It had happened before – not all that long ago... all it took was a single moment for our entire world to come crashing down around us. An instant for everything to fall apart.

It had happened once, but we _couldn't_ let it happen again… no matter what. 

* * *

.

Reviews are better than getting a foot rub from Jasper… eh, who am I kidding. Nothing's better than that… other than… well, never mind. Use your imagination. ;)

Once again, I'm offering an outtake for all those of you who review the chapter. A certain someone wanted to have their say, and this outtake was the perfect way to do that. Big thanks to koko23cat for sparking the idea in the first place. :)

Those of you who have me on author alert may have seen that I posted a new oneshot recently. I'd been working on it for months, and I'm _so excited_ to finally have it posted. If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out "A Rose Unfolding" (Yes, friends, I actually wrote something not centered around Jasper and Alice. Shocking, right?) The link is, of course, on my profile page. Wanna teaser from it to get you going? Allow me… 

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_I heard the creaking of hinges behind me and, in the glass, saw Emmett's reflection as he leaned against the doorjamb just looking at me._

_His expression was soft and loving... awed._

_He was wearing a blue pajama set, long pants and a shirt that buttoned down the front. But they did __nothing__ at all to hide how truly massive he was... the broad expanse of his chest, the bulging of his biceps even through the thin sleeves, every inch of him pure muscle._

_At five feet nine inches tall, I was certainly taller than most women – some men even. And I liked the distinct advantage that gave me. But next to Emmett's hulking form, I felt small... almost vulnerable._

_Royce hadn't been nearly as tall as Emmett, and having such a sedentary occupation, he hadn't even a portion of his mass._

_Yet I'd been absolutely helpless to fight Royce off all those years ago. He'd overpowered me no matter how hard I'd struggled against him._

_But with Emmett..._

_I swallowed hard, feeling fear rise up thickly in my throat._

_With surprising grace for someone so large, Emmett padded across the room to stand behind me. His head towered over mine in our reflection._

_His hands rose to stroke up and down my arms in a soothing motion. "You're trembling," he observed in a voice barely louder than a whisper._

_"I'm fine," I protested, hating that I sounded as weak and unsure as I did._

_"That wasn't very convincing," he said with a trace of a smile, though it looked rather sad. He stooped down to press a soft kiss to the crown of my head. "We don't have to do anything tonight, Rose. Not if you don't want to."_

_I shook my head adamantly. Royce wasn't robbing me of anything else. I wasn't going to let him. He'd stolen my innocence. He'd essentially stolen my life. I refused to let him rob me of my wedding night with the man I loved. A man who loved me in return._

_With gentle hands, Emmett turned me around to face him, stroking my cheek with the back of his fingers. His eyes peered deeply into mine, and I wondered if somehow he could see all the way through me… right to the very heart of all the fears and uncertainties I tried so hard to hide._

_"The very second you start to feel uncomfortable or scared, Rose, you tell me to stop, and I'll stop. I mean that – at any point. I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to do, I promise."_

_I simply nodded, not trusting my voice enough to attempt speech._

_With his hands still caressing my face, he lowered his mouth, brushing tender kisses over my temples, my forehead, working his way down to my lips. I sighed when his lips found mine, leaning into him. This part was familiar._

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Don't forget to click that button and leave me some love to get your outtake. :) Until next time…

Hugs and love,

Nik


	13. A Regretful Apology and a Farewell

I'm doubting this will come as much of a surprise considering my long absence, but I think it's past time for me to take my leave from the Twilight fandom. I lost my drive for it a long time ago, but I held off until now on actually making a decision to that end hoping I'd just hit a funk and would come out of it at least long enough to finish this story. I'd hoped that seeing Breaking Dawn would ignite enough of a spark for me to be able to do that. When that didn't happen, I thought maybe I'd be able to find the mental energy during my time off for the holidays to wrap things up. Obviously there was no such luck.

I'm truly sorry to have left you all hanging for so long, and even sorrier that this is what you get for waiting. You deserved better than that. But I'd genuinely hoped to be able to complete this story and I didn't want to say anything one way or the other until I was sure. But as I'm sure all of you writers know, if there's no interest and no muse, there are no words to be found no matter how hard you fight for them. And when recreation has become a source of stress instead of joy, it's time to let it go and move on.

I genuinely do appreciate each one of you and your sweet support throughout my time here. I spent more than two years writing fan fiction and I don't regret a minute of it. It was a great growing opportunity for me in many ways and it opened doors for some very sweet friendships that I still treasure greatly.

I've been playing around with one final chapter to at least give some closure here, but it's been in the works for months and in all honesty, I don't know if it'll ever come to fruition. I'm not ruling it out, but at the same time, I don't want anyone to keep waiting for it.

I'm not deleting anything at this point, but I will make a note in the summary that this story is incomplete so that any future readers will know that going in.

As always, you can find me on Twitter as (a)AnEnduringHope should you wish to stay in touch. Again, thank you so very much to all of you who made my time in this fandom such a fun and gratifying experience.

Much love,

Nik


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